The Action Plan is an individualized health communication tool, providing a checklist of steps for evidence-informed readiness and guidance on actions before and during wildfire smoke and extreme heat events. Printable and double-sided, once completed the tool should be retained by the patient and kept in an easily accessible location (e.g. on a refrigerator door) during the wildfire/heat season.
The tool was initially intended for completion during a shared session between a clinician and a patient (similar to the Asthma and COPD Action Plans). A provider instructional guide is available to support the clinician through the completion of the form, providing answers to common questions and links to public-facing resources from the BC Centre for Disease Control, the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, and other relevant organizations. However, following requests to consider support by community organizations, we have worked with stakeholders to create a parallel community organization instructional guide. This new guide is intended to support a community organization working with a client through the steps of the plan, with annotations in sections where a healthcare provider’s advice is strongly recommended.
Please note that this tool has been developed for use with adult populations, and lacks specific, targeted information for children, infants or pregnant persons. We are seeking clinicians or organizations interested in guiding or leading appropriate modification of the tool for these and/or other priority populations who are considered at higher risk than the general population for wildfire smoke and extreme heat. The Action Plan is currently being piloted among patients with respiratory disease and refined to local context within Vancouver Coastal Health and Interior Health.
If you are interested in using the tool within your own practice or health system, please contact Dr. Emily Brigham (emily.brigham@ubc.ca) for more information and ways to become involved/partner. Updated versions of the form and additional tools will be posted as they become available.
We would like to acknowledge the ongoing input and expertise of the patient partners, respiratory educators, and staff who continue to drive this work forward in light of need. This evolving tool is the result of a grassroots effort by a diverse team invested in the shared goal of improving the health of our population. See the session and discussion that inspired the work, here: https://ubccpd.ca/2022-05-04-climate-change
Disclaimer: This evidence-informed tool does not replace the advice of a doctor. Creators and affiliated institutions disclaim warranty or liability for use.
