Surveillance activities include monitoring asthma prevalence, quality of life issues, hospitalizations, emergency department visits and mortality. This data is important in planning education and intervention programs and in developing policies necessary for preventing and controlling asthma in the future.
Numerous data sources are used to describe the burden of asthma. A presentation (see Surveillance Sources Presentation under PUBLICATIONS in the right-hand column) has compiled the most used surveillance sources of national, Illinois and local level asthma data.
Asthma Burden Reports and Updates
A comprehensive Burden of Asthma in Illinois (see PUBLICATIONS in the right-hand column) is released every five years to report on asthma data trends. More frequently, shorter, asthma burden updates are released. The burden updates reflect information that warrants sharing before the next iteration of the Burden of Asthma in Illinois is released.
Illinois Asthma State Plan
The Illinois Department of Public Health has been addressing asthma in Illinois for more than 15 years. Every five years the program and members of the Illinois Asthma Partnership release a strategic state plan. The program is currently implementing its 3rd edition of Addressing Asthma in Illinois, the 2009-2014 Illinois Asthma State Plan.