The CHEST Study
CHEST stands for A Partnership with Community Health Centers to Implement SMART for Asthma. The CHEST Team includes community health doctors and nurses, Washington University pulmonologists, public health experts, and health communication experts in St. Louis. We are working together to try to improve asthma treatment and outcomes. CHEST aims to help asthma patients receive guideline-recommended SMART therapy for their asthma.
About SMART Therapy
SMART stands for Single Maintenance and Reliever Therapy. SMART is recommended by asthma experts for people with moderate-to-severe asthma. SMART combines a steroid inhaler and beta-agonist to create one single inhaler. With SMART, patients use the same inhaler for everyday use and as needed. When patients are prescribed SMART their asthma control generally improves.
Asthma by the numbers
26 million Americans are diagnosed with asthma.
1 in 10 children are diagnosed with asthma.
$80 billion U.S. dollars in cost annually.
13.8 million missed school days per year.
SMART facts
Equal symptoms present in both SMART and alternate therapies.
30% decrease in asthma exacerbations due to SMART.
SMART covered by MO HealthNet.
GINA recommends SMART therapy.
Hear from patients
“…Because it [SMART therapy] would be just like one less thing I would have to remember again. Instead of having the two, you just got the one and you’re done.”
—54-year-old St. Louisian who struggled with asthma control and tried SMART
“I like the combined approach [SMART therapy] better because I forget to take my [everyday inhaler] so much. And I don’t forget to take my rescue inhaler because my body tells me when I need it.”
—47-year-old St. Louis resident with asthma who tried SMART
