The Fantasthma program is a concept developed by the Florida Allergy Asthma and Immunology Society (FAAIS) to help in the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of high risk asthma patients.

     There are approximately 17 million asthmatics in the USA with 5% being school age. Asthma incidence has been on the rise for many years despite significant advances in the pharmacotherapy utilized to treat this disease state. Asthma is the leading cause of chronic diseases that lead to school absenteeism and it is also a leading cause of absenteeism from the workplace. Asthma is responsible for approximately $8 to 10 billion per year in direct and indirect health care costs. One major obstacle with regards to asthma care is a significant problem with underdiagnosis and undertreatment of this potentially lethal disease. A major tenet of asthma care has to do with the NIH guideline recommendation to use anti-inflammatory medications to control this disease state. Unfortunately studies in the medical literature indicate a significant deficit in the use of anti-inflammatory medications by many of the physicians currently treating asthmatics.

The goals of the Fantasthma program are as follows:

1. By working in harmony with health plans / MCO's, primary care physicians, and asthma specialists (Allergist or Pulmonologist) the program will first identify "high risk" asthma patients. It should be noted that "high risk" is a relative term and strict criteria will be determined prior to the identification process.
2. Once identified patients and the primary care physicians will be contacted in an effort to enroll patients into the program.
3. Once enrolled patients will be referred to an asthma specialist (Allergist or Pulmonologist) for further evaluation, treatment, and education.
4. Depending on the preference of the primary care physician and health plan patients will either return to their primary care physician for "maintenance" treatment or the asthma specialist will "retain" the patient for primary care of their asthma.
5. The final goal of the program is to increase awareness amongst the public, health plans, and primary care physicians that with the help of asthma specialists (Allergist or Pulmonologist) patients with asthma can have better control of their disease state and a much better quality of life.

     As of August 2001 the director of Fantasthma, Dr. Roger Danziger (board certified in Allergy / Immunology) has met with a number of medical directors of health plans in the Tampa Bay area in Florida to discuss the program. Dr. Danziger is currently on an asthma advisory board for the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and is in the process of discussing the benefits of utilizing asthma specialists in the care of "high risk" asthma patients. Dr. Danziger is Past president of the Florida Allergy Asthma and Immunology Society. He is also the Allergy representative for Medicare State of Florida and he is an expert reviewer for the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) in Florida.

     The director of the Fantasthma program, Roger Danziger, M.D. can be contacted through the main executive office of the Florida Allergy Asthma and Immunology Society (FAAIS) located in Jacksonville, FL . Phone: 904.765.7702. The e-mail address of FAAIS is: