A New Professional Networking Website: Using Technology to Share Practices and Monitor a Statewide Strategic Plan for Asthma

The California Asthma Partners (CAP), an alliance of organizations working to address asthma throughout the state, has developed a new online networking tool that will allow programs throughout California to share their experiences, successes and challenges in addressing asthma through the CAP website. The purpose of the website is two-fold. For one, the website provides users an opportunity to share and learn from other programs. Users search for programs using a variety of criteria: demographics served, geographic location, and type of activities conducted. In addition, users can hone in on programs that are working on specific objectives outlined in the Strategic Plan for Asthma in California 2008-2012 (www.asthmapartners.org). This search feature helps programs interested in using the Strategic Plan objectives as a platform for addressing asthma get started. Each program in the database has a complete profile, illustrating key information about who the program serves and how they accomplish their goals and objectives. The second benefit of the website, is that it will allow the CAP steering committee to track implementation of the Strategic Plan. The steering committee includes high level representatives from the fields of medicine, education, advocacy, research and policy.

The committee guides implementation of the Strategic Plan by coordinating efforts throughout the state. The CAP website illuminates which objectives are being addressed and where there are gaps in services. The steering committee can then in turn advise state level policy makers or their own organizations to address identified needs. The goal for the site is to contain profiles for approximately 200 programs. This site is unique in that it is both a statewide surveillance tool and a resource for building capacity in local organizations.