Evaluation of a community-based outreach worker program for children with asthma

The West Philadelphia asthma care implementation study (NHLBI#

Asthma is the most common chronic condition among children, with low-income families living in urban areas experiencing significantly higher rates. Evidence based interventions for asthma are routinely implemented in either the home, school, or primary care setting. However, even when caregivers of poor children are engaged in asthma interventions in one setting, they often have to navigate challenges in another setting, such as an under-resourced home, non-supportive school, or disengaged health care provider. The West Philadelphia Asthma Care Implementation Plan aims to compare the effectiveness of a primary care-based intervention, school-based intervention, and combined primary care and school intervention to usual care for improving asthma control in school-age children to explore if the synergistic effect of Community Health Worker (CHW) support in the home, school, and health care environments will result in improved asthma control. Children ages 5-13 with uncontrolled asthma from four West Philadelphia recruitment sites will be eligible for enrollment. The families of school age children interested in participating will be randomized to receive a primary care CHW or usual care. Those identified as attending a participating school will have a CHW-led school intervention or usual care in school. If proven effective, this care coordination program will assist caregivers in assessing resources, improving self-management skills, and ultimately reducing asthma-related ED visits and hospitalizations as well as provide additional information for healthcare systems and policy makers to inform their decisions about how and where to focus additional resources and investments in childhood asthma care to improve health outcomes.

Is Theory Guiding Our Work? A Scoping Review on the Use of Implementation Theories, Frameworks, and Models to Bring Community Health Workers into Health Care Settings

Community health workers (CHWs) are becoming a well-recognized workforce to help reduce health disparities and improve health equity. Although evidence demonstrates the value of engaging CHWs in health care teams, there is a need to describe best practices for integrating CHWs into US health care settings. The use of existing health promotion and implementation theories could guide the research and implementation of health interventions conducted by CHWs. We conducted a standard 5-step scoping review plus stakeholder engagement to provide insight into this topic. Using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science, we identified CHW intervention studies in health care settings published between 2000 and 2017. Studies were abstracted by 2 researchers for characteristics and reported use of theory. Our final review included 50 articles published between January 2000 and April 2017. Few studies used implementation theories to understand the facilitators and barriers to CHW integration. Those studies that incorporated implementation theories used RE-AIM, intervention mapping, cultural tailoring, PRECEDE-PROCEED, and the diffusion of innovation. Although most studies did not report using implementation theories, some constructs of implementation such as fidelity or perceived benefits were assessed. In addition, studies that reported intervention development often cited specific theories, such as the transtheoretical or health belief model, that helped facilitate the development of their program. Our results are consistent with other literature describing poor uptake and use of implementation theory. Further translation of implementation theories for CHW integration is recommended.

Community Health Workers' Role in Supporting Pediatric Asthma Management: A Review

Objective

Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been effective in improving health outcomes in vulnerable communities by providing health education and management services. We review CHW-led asthma education and management interventions for children and their families. Next, we describe the selection and training of CHWs in pediatric asthma management in the Rhode Island Integrated Response Asthma Care Implementation Program (RI-AIR).

Methods

We queried the MEDLine, Cochrane, PubMed, and EMBASE databases with keywords ("community health worker", "asthma", "health worker", "lay worker", "pediatric", "child", and "childhood") from inception until September 2019. Criteria for study inclusion included: published in English, conducted in the United States, approved with an ethics notification, published in peer-reviewed journal, and involved CHWs as the interventionists. The initial search identified 216 manuscripts. Fifteen studies met criteria for inclusion.

Results

CHWs provide asthma management and education services, including home environmental trigger assessments, strategies to reduce environmental trigger exposure, resource linkage, and community referrals. We describe RI-AIR, and its CHW-led asthma education and management interventions.

Conclusions

CHWs are effective and vital supports for positive asthma outcomes. More research is needed to guide models of intervention using CHWs, specifically addressing integration in interdisciplinary teams, training, and reimbursement for CHW services.

Implications for Impact Statement

CHWs are effective in helping children with asthma and their families learn to manage asthma. It is important to develop programs that prepare CHWs to work with other medical professionals and health care models to pay for their services.

Application of the community health worker model in adult asthma and COPD in the U.S.: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

With rising medical costs, stakeholders and healthcare professionals are exploring community-based solutions to relieve the burden of chronic diseases and reduce health care spending. The community health worker (CHW) model is one example that has proven effective in improving patient outcomes globally. We sought to systematically describe the effectiveness of community health worker interventions in improving patient reported outcomes and reducing healthcare utilization in the adult asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) populations in the U.S.

METHODS

Studies were included if they were a randomized control trial or involved a pre-post intervention comparison with clearly stated disease specific outcomes, targeted adult patients with asthma or COPD, and were performed in the United States. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. The review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) criteria and was registered with PROSPERO.

RESULT

The search yielded 4013 potential articles, of which 47 were chosen for full-text review and 4 were chosen for inclusion; all focused on asthma and three had a comparison group. CHW interventions demonstrated improvement in asthma-related quality of life, asthma control, home trigger scores, and asthma symptom free days. There were no studies that reported COPD specific outcomes as a result of CHW interventions.

CONCLUSION

Emerging evidence suggests CHW interventions may improve some aspects of asthma related disease burden in adults, however additional studies with consistent outcome measures are needed to confirm their effectiveness. Further research is also warranted to evaluate the use of community health workers in the COPD population.

An Evaluation of a State-Funded Healthy Homes Intervention on Asthma Outcomes in Adults and Children

CONTEXT

Reducing exposure to environmental triggers is a critical part of asthma management.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of a healthy homes intervention on asthma outcomes and assess the impact of different targeting strategies.

SETTING

The New York State (NYS) Healthy Neighborhoods Program (HNP) operates in select communities with a higher burden of housing-related illness and associated risk factors.

PARTICIPANTS

Residents with asthma were recruited through 3 mechanisms: door-to-door canvassing (CANVASSED), 752 residents in 457 dwellings; referrals from community partners (REFERRED), 573 residents in 307 dwellings; referrals of Medicaid enrollees with poorly controlled asthma (TARGETED), 140 residents in 140 dwellings.

INTERVENTION

The NYS HNP provides visual assessments and low-cost interventions to identify and address asthma triggers and trigger-promoting conditions in the home environment. Conditions are reassessed during a revisit conducted 3 to 6 months after the initial visit.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

The analysis compares improvements across the 3 groups for measures of asthma self-management, health care access, morbidity, and environmental conditions. An asthma trigger score characterizing the extent of multiple triggers in a dwelling was also calculated.

RESULTS

Among 1465 adults and children, there were significant improvements in environmental conditions and self-reported self-management, health care access, and asthma morbidity outcomes for each group. The improvement was greatest in the TARGETED group for most outcomes, but selected measures of self-management and health care access were greater in the other groups. The mean improvement was significantly greater in the TARGETED group.

CONCLUSION

Targeting the intervention to people with poorly controlled asthma maximizes improvements in trigger avoidance and asthma morbidity; however, other recruitment strategies are effective for impacting endpoints related to health care access and self-management. This evaluation demonstrates that a low-intensity home-based environmental intervention is effective as well as practical and feasible. Health care payers, state and local health departments, and others should consider investing in these home-based services as part of a comprehensive asthma care package.

Evaluation of the Environmental Scoring System in Multiple Child Asthma Intervention Programs in Boston, Massachusetts

OBJECTIVES

To test the applicability of the Environmental Scoring System, a quick and simple approach for quantitatively measuring environmental triggers collected during home visits, and to evaluate its contribution to improving asthma outcomes among various child asthma programs.

METHODS

We pooled and analyzed data from multiple child asthma programs in the Greater Boston Area, Massachusetts, collected in 2011 to 2016, to examine the association of environmental scores (ES) with measures of asthma outcomes and compare the results across programs.

RESULTS

Our analysis showed that demographics were important contributors to variability in asthma outcomes and total ES, and largely explained the differences among programs at baseline. Among all programs in general, we found that asthma outcomes were significantly improved and total ES significantly reduced over visits, with the total Asthma Control Test score negatively associated with total ES.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that the Environmental Scoring System is a useful tool for measuring home asthma triggers and can be applied regardless of program and survey designs, and that demographics of the target population may influence the improvement in asthma outcomes.

National estimates of 30-day readmissions among children hospitalized for asthma in the United States

OBJECTIVE

Previous single-center studies have reported that up to 40% of children hospitalized for asthma will be readmitted. The study objectives are to investigate the prevalence and timing of 30-day readmissions in children hospitalized with asthma, and to identify factors associated with 30-day readmissions.

METHODS

Data (n = 12,842) for children aged 6-18 years hospitalized for asthma were obtained from the 2013 Nationwide Readmission Database (NRD). The primary study outcome was time to readmission within 30 days after discharge attributable to any cause. Several predictors associated with the risk of admission were included: patient (age, sex, median household income, insurance type, county location, and pediatric chronic complex condition), admission (type, day, emergency services utilization, length of stay (LOS), and discharge disposition), and hospital (ownership, bed size, and teaching status). Cox's proportional hazards model was used to identify predictors.

RESULTS

Of 12,842 asthma-related index hospitalizations, 2.5% were readmitted within 30-days post-discharge. Time to event models identified significantly higher risk of readmission among asthmatic children aged 12-18 years, those who resided in micropolitan counties, those with >4-days LOS during index hospitalization, those who were hospitalized in an urban hospital, who had unfavorable discharge (hazard ratio 2.53, 95% confidence interval 1.33-4.79), and those who were diagnosed with a pediatric complex chronic condition, respectively, than children in respective referent categories.

CONCLUSION

A multi-dimensional approach including effective asthma discharge action plans and follow-up processes, home-based asthma education, and neighborhood/community-level efforts to address disparities should be integrated into the routine clinical care of asthma children.

Impact of Community Health Workers on Use of Healthcare Services in the United States: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

As the US transitions to value-based healthcare, physicians and payers are incentivized to change healthcare delivery to improve quality of care while controlling costs. By assisting with the management of common chronic conditions, community health workers (CHWs) may improve healthcare quality, but physicians and payers who are making choices about care delivery also need to understand their effects on healthcare spending.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, Embase, and Web of Science from the inception of each database to 22 June 2015. We included US-based studies that evaluated a CHW intervention for patients with at least one chronic health condition and reported cost or healthcare utilization outcomes. We evaluated studies using tools specific to study design.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 2,941 studies after removing duplicates. Thirty-four met inclusion and methodological criteria. Sixteen studies (47%) were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). RCTs typically had less positive outcomes than other study designs. Of the 16 RCTs, 12 reported utilization outcomes, of which 5 showed a significant reduction in one or more of ED visits, hospitalizations and/or urgent care visits. Significant reductions reported in ED visits ranged from 23%-51% and in hospitalizations ranged from 21%-50%, and the one significant reduction in urgent care visits was recorded at 60% (p < 0.05 for all).

DISCUSSION

Our results suggest that CHW interventions have variable effects, but some may reduce costs and preventable utilization. These findings suggest that it is possible to achieve reductions in care utilization and cost savings by integrating CHWs into chronic care management. However, variations in cost and utilization outcomes suggest that CHWs alone do not make an intervention successful. The paucity of rigorous studies and heterogeneity of study designs limited conclusions about factors associated with reduced utilization.

Approaches to better engage parent-child in health home-visiting programmes: A content analysis

Home visiting is an evidence-based strategy used to enhance child and family health outcomes. Such primary healthcare endeavours demand the full participation of individual and families. We conducted a review to identify approaches to planning, executing and assessing home-visiting health promotion interventions to determine how parents and children can be best engaged. A structured search (2000-2015) was undertaken using a defined search protocol. The quality of the papers was assessed using standard appraisal tools. Sixteen studies were retrieved. A content analysis of the findings sections of the papers was undertaken and guided by the eight phases of the PRECEDE-PROCEED health promotion planning framework. The analysis found that while all the PRECEDE assessment areas were represented no studies included all phases. Parents and children did not appear to be actively involved in undertaking the assessments and evaluation of the home-visiting health promotion programmes. The findings suggest that there is a need to develop a consistent home-visiting approach that includes comprehensive assessments in the planning phases and parent and child involvement at each step of programme development, implementation and evaluation. This approach enables the development of tailored and sustainable health promotion intervention in order to achieve optimal child health outcomes.

Effective education parameters for trigger remediation in underserved children with asthma: A systematic review

OBJECTIVES

The prevalence of asthma is highest in minority children living in urban areas. Pediatric asthma research has focused on self-management education and trigger remediation using a multi-trigger, multi-component educational intervention approach. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify common educational parameters of these proposed interventions. The review also sought to identify which clinical outcomes improved with multi-trigger, multi-component educational interventions.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, SCOPUS and ProQuest Dissertations were searched between 2000 to 2014 using the following terms: asthma; urban population or poverty area; environmental remediation; health education; allergens or dust mites or cockroaches or mold or mice or rats.

STUDY SELECTIONS

Studies were included if they met the following criteria: 1) participants were minority children identified as underserved; 2) there was a multi-trigger and multi-component intervention; 3) asthma severity was classified as persistent; and 4) asthma control was classified as not well controlled.

RESULTS

A total of 531 articles were retrieved of which 17 met the inclusion criteria. The interventions lacked consistency in their explanation. Most studies were vague in reporting pedagogical methods and educational content. Few studies reported a theoretical framework to guide their approach. Over half the studies did not report a learning assessment nor health literacy of the caregiver or the child with asthma. Yet all of the findings demonstrated statistically significant results in some or all of their primary outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the research lacked clarity in the approach to impact asthma outcomes and reduces the opportunity to substantiate the findings through replication.

Community Health Workers as a Component of the Health Care Team

In restructuring the delivery of primary care to improve the wellness of a community, every community must review its own circumstances for factors such as resources and capacities, health concerns, social and political perspectives, and competing priorities. Strengthening the health care team with community health workers to create a patient-centered medical home can enhance health care access and outcomes. Community health workers can serve as critical connectors between health systems and communities; they facilitate access to and improve quality and culturally sensitive medical care, emphasizing preventive and primary care.

Living on the edge of asthma: A grounded theory exploration

PURPOSE

Most asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations for asthma are preventable. Our purpose was to develop a grounded theory to guide interventions to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and ED visits.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Grounded theory inquiry guided interviews of 20 participants, including 13 parents and 7 children.

RESULTS

Living on the edge of asthma was the emergent theory. Categories included: balancing, losing control, seeking control, and transforming.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The theory provides the means for nurses to understand the dynamic process that families undergo in trying to prevent and then deal with and learn from an acute asthma attack requiring hospitalization or an ED visit.

A cost analysis of a community health worker program in rural Vermont

Studies have shown that community health workers (CHWs) can improve the effectiveness of health care systems; however, little has been reported about CHW program costs. We examined the costs of a program staffed by three CHWs associated with a small, rural hospital in Vermont. We used a standardized data collection tool to compile cost information from administrative data and personal interviews. We analyzed personnel and operational costs from October 2010 to September 2011. The estimated total program cost was $420,348, a figure comprised of $281,063 (67%) for personnel and $139,285 (33%) for operations. CHW salaries and office space were the major cost components. Our cost analysis approach may be adapted by others to conduct cost analyses of their CHW program. Our cost estimates can help inform future economic studies of CHW programs and resource allocation decisions.

The impact of an urban home-based intervention program on asthma outcomes in children

OBJECTIVES

This program evaluation examines the outcomes of a multicomponent urban home-based asthma program implemented through a city health department in a large Midwestern city. The purpose of the program was to improve asthma outcomes by controlling indoor asthma triggers in the home environment.

DESIGN AND SAMPLE

This was a pre-post evaluation study. Participants received home-based education from a public health nurse or a health educator, cleaning and other supplies, and physical home interventions such as mold abatement and pest control. Asthma outcomes, caregiver quality of life, trigger-related activities, and asthma management activities at baseline and 6 months following the intervention were evaluated using survey data. A total of 115 participants for whom baseline and follow-up data were available were included in this analysis.

MEASURES

This study used parent self-reported quantitative and qualitative data which were collected through baseline and follow-up surveys administered by program staff.

RESULTS

Significant reduction in asthma symptom days, nighttime awakenings, days with activity limitation, and albuterol use were observed. Emergency department visits, missed school days, and caregiver missed work days also were significantly reduced, and caregiver quality of life improved.

CONCLUSIONS

This multifaceted home-based intervention decreased asthma triggers and improved asthma outcomes in children, and improved the quality of life of their caregivers.

Cost-consequence analysis of multimodal interventions with environmental components for pediatric asthma in the state of Maryland

BACKGROUND

Applied environmental strategies for asthma control are often expensive, but may save longer-term healthcare costs. Whether these savings outweigh additional costs of implementing these strategies is uncertain.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review to estimate the expenditures and savings of environmental interventions for asthma in the state of Maryland. Direct costs included hospitalizations, emergency room, and clinic visits. Indirect expenditures included costs of lost work productivity and travel incurred during the usage of healthcare services. We used decision analysis, assuming a hypothetical cohort of the approximated 49,290 pediatric individuals in Maryland with persistent asthma, to compare costs and benefits of environmental asthma interventions against the standard of care (no intervention) from the societal perspective.

RESULTS

Three interventions among nine articles met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review: 1) environmental education using medical professionals; 2) education using non-medical personnel; and 3) multi-component strategy involving education with non-medical personnel, allergen-impermeable covers, and pest management. All interventions were found to be cost-saving relative to the standard of care. Home environmental education using non-medical professionals yielded the highest net savings of $14.1 million (95% simulation interval (SI): $-.283 million, $19.4 million), while the multi-component intervention resulted in the lowest net savings of $8.1 million (95% SI: $-4.9 million, $15.9 million). All strategies were most sensitive to the baseline number of hospitalizations in those not receiving targeted interventions for asthma.

CONCLUSIONS

Limited environmental reduction strategies for asthma are likely to be cost-saving to the healthcare system in Maryland and should be considered for broader scale-up in other economically similar settings.

Pediatric patients with asthma: a high-risk population for subsequent hospitalization

OBJECTIVES

Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions among children and is one of the leading causes for pediatric hospitalizations. More evidence is needed to clarify the risks of repeat hospitalization and the underlying factors contributing to adverse health outcomes among pediatric patients hospitalized with asthma. The purpose of this study was to examine the risk of subsequent hospitalizations among pediatric patients hospitalized with asthma compared to a reference cohort of children hospitalized for all other diagnoses.

METHODS

The Washington State (WA) Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System (CHARS) was used to obtain data for the study. Data describing 81,946 hospitalized pediatric patients admitted from 2004 to 2008 were available. The risk of subsequent hospitalization among children admitted for asthma as compared to a reference cohort was examined.

RESULTS

The asthma cohort had a 33% (HR = 1.33 [99% confidence interval (CI) 1.21-1.46]; p < .001) increased risk of subsequent hospitalization from 2004 to 2008. Children in the asthma cohort under the age of 13 years demonstrated a significant increased risk of subsequent hospitalization as compared to the age-matched reference cohort of children without asthma. Those in the asthma cohort who were 3-5 years old demonstrated the highest risk (50%) of subsequent hospitalization (HR = 1.50 [99% CI 1.23-1.83]; p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Study results can be utilized in the development of appropriate interventions aimed at preventing and reducing hospital admissions, improving patient care, decreasing overall costs, and lessening complications among pediatric patients with asthma.

Impact of the environment on asthma control

Asthma is a complex condition that requires individualized interventions. The purpose of this article is to describe the relationship between the physical and social environments with asthma symptoms, present evidence that supports environmental interventions in asthma control and the implications for asthma management. There is evidence that indoor and outdoor allergens relate to asthma morbidity. Knowledge about which environmental exposures present risk is essential because many of these exposures can be modified, reduced, or eliminated. The community health nurse should provide care relative to the client's indoor and outdoor environment and existing allergens.

Community-based care coordination: practical applications for childhood asthma

Care coordination programs have been used to address chronic illnesses, including childhood asthma, but primarily via practice-based models. An alternative approach employs community-based care coordinators who bridge gaps between families, health care providers, and support services. Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN) sites developed community-based care coordination approaches for childhood asthma. Using a community-based care coordination logic model, programs at each site are described along with program operational statistics. Four sites used three to four community health workers (CHWs) to provide care coordination, whereas one site used five school-based asthma nurses. This school-based site had the highest caseload (82.5 per year), but program duration was 3 months with 4 calls or visits. Other sites averaged fewer cases (35 to 61 per CHW per year), but families received more (7 to 17) calls or visits over a year. Retention was 43% to 93% at 6 months and 24% to 75% at 12 months. Pre-post cross-site data document changes in asthma management behaviors and outcomes. After program participation, 93% to 100% of caregivers had confidence in controlling their child's asthma, 85% to 92% had taken steps to reduce triggers, 69% to 100% had obtained an asthma action plan, and 46% to 100% of those with moderate to severe asthma reported appropriate use of controller medication. Emergency department visits for asthma decreased by 36% to 63%, and asthma-related hospitalizations declined by 26% to 78%. More than three fourths had fewer school absences. In conclusion, MCAN community-based care coordination programs improved management behaviors and decreased morbidity across all sites.

Improving asthma management among African-American children via a community health worker model: findings from a Chicago-based pilot intervention

OBJECTIVES

Asthma affects 25-30% of children living in certain disadvantaged Chicago neighborhoods, a rate twice the national prevalence (13%). Children living in poor, minority communities tend to rely heavily on the emergency department (ED) for asthma care and are unlikely to be properly medicated or educated on asthma self-management. A pilot project implemented and evaluated a community health worker (CHW) model for its effectiveness in reducing asthma morbidity and improving the quality of life among African-American children living in disadvantaged Chicago neighborhoods.

METHODS

Trained CHWs from targeted communities provided individualized asthma education during three to four home visits over 6 months. The CHWs also served as liaisons between families and the medical system. Seventy children were enrolled into the pilot phase between 15 November 2004 and 15 July 2005, of which 96% were insured by Medicaid and 54% lived with a smoker. Prior to starting, the study was approved by an institutional review board. Data on 50 children (71.4%) who completed the entire 12-month evaluation phase were analyzed using a before and after study design.

RESULTS

Findings indicate improved asthma control. Specifically, symptom frequency was reduced by 35% and urgent health resource utilization by 75% between the pre- and post-intervention periods. Parental quality of life also improved by a level that was both clinically and statistically significant. Other important outcomes included improved asthma-related knowledge, decreased exposure to asthma triggers, and improved medical management. The intervention was also shown to be cost-effective, resulting in an estimated $5.58 saved per dollar spent on the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that individualized asthma education provided by a trained, culturally competent CHW is effective in improving asthma management among poorly controlled, inner-city children. Further studies are needed to affirm the findings and assess the model's generalizability.

Economic value of home-based, multi-trigger, multicomponent interventions with an environmental focus for reducing asthma morbidity a community guide systematic review

CONTEXT

A recent systematic review of home-based, multi-trigger, multicomponent interventions with an environmental focus showed their effectiveness in reducing asthma morbidity among children and adolescents. These interventions included home visits by trained personnel to assess the level of and reduce adverse effects of indoor environmental pollutants, and educate households with an asthma client to reduce exposure to asthma triggers. The purpose of the present review is to identify economic values of these interventions and present ranges for the main economic outcomes (e.g., program costs, benefit-cost ratios, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios).

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

Using methods previously developed for Guide to Community Preventive Services economic reviews, a systematic review was conducted to evaluate the economic efficiency of home-based, multi-trigger, multicomponent interventions with an environmental focus to improve asthma-related morbidity outcomes. A total of 1551 studies were identified in the search period (1950 to June 2008), and 13 studies were included in this review. Program costs are reported for all included studies; cost-benefit results for three; and cost-effectiveness results for another three. Information on program cost was provided with varying degrees of completeness: six of the studies did not provide a list of components included in their program cost description (limited cost information), three studies provided a list of program cost components but not a cost per component (partial cost information), and four studies provided both a list of program cost components and costs per component (satisfactory cost information).

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Program costs per participant per year ranged from $231-$14,858 (in 2007 U.S.$). The major factors affecting program cost, in addition to completeness, were the level of intensity of environmental remediation (minor, moderate, or major), type of educational component (environmental education or self-management), the professional status of the home visitor, and the frequency of visits by the home visitor. Benefit-cost ratios ranged from 5.3-14.0, implying that for every dollar spent on the intervention, the monetary value of the resulting benefits, such as averted medical costs or averted productivity losses, was $5.30-$14.00 (in 2007 U.S.$). The range in incremental cost-effectiveness ratios was $12-$57 (in 2007 U.S.$) per asthma symptom-free day, which means that these interventions achieved each additional symptom-free day for net costs varying from $12-$57.

CONCLUSIONS

The benefits from home-based, multi-trigger, multicomponent interventions with an environmental focus can match or even exceed their program costs. Based on cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness studies, the results of this review show that these programs provide a good value for dollars spent on the interventions.

Online solutions to support needs and preferences of parents of children with asthma and allergies

Many families of children with asthma and allergies experience support deficits and isolation. However, support interventions have not been designed to meet their needs. Consequently, parents' intervention preferences were elicited, and an online peer support group intervention was designed based on these preferences and piloted in the study described. In-depth interviews with 44 parents elicited preferences for support interventions for both children and parents. Many said they felt alone and wanted support from others in similar situations. Based on the parents' preferences for accessible online peer support groups, a pilot online intervention was designed and implemented. Parents received information and reassurance from other parents in peer support sessions. Parents appreciated the accessibility and anonymity of the online support group. This innovative online peer support intervention, informed by parents' preferences, could be adapted and tested in intervention trials and guide programs and practice for families affected by asthma, allergies, and other chronic conditions.

Effectiveness of home-based, multi-trigger, multicomponent interventions with an environmental focus for reducing asthma morbidity: a community guide systematic review

CONTEXT

Asthma exacerbations are commonly triggered by exposure to allergens and irritants within the home. The purpose of this review was to evaluate evidence that interventions that target reducing these triggers through home visits may be beneficial in improving asthma outcomes. The interventions involve home visits by trained personnel to conduct two or more components that address asthma triggers in the home. Intervention components focus on reducing exposures to a range of asthma triggers (allergens and irritants) through environmental assessment, education, and remediation.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

Using methods previously developed for the Guide to Community Preventive Services, a systematic review was conducted to evaluate the evidence on effectiveness of home-based, multi-trigger, multicomponent interventions with an environmental focus to improve asthma-related morbidity outcomes. The literature search identified over 10,800 citations. Of these, 23 studies met intervention and quality criteria for inclusion in the final analysis.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

In the 20 studies targeting children and adolescents, the number of days with asthma symptoms (symptom-days) was reduced by 0.8 days per 2 weeks, which is equivalent to 21.0 symptom-days per year (range of values: reduction of 0.6 to 2.3 days per year); school days missed were reduced by 12.3 days per year (range of values: reduction of 3.4 to 31.2 days per year); and the number of asthma acute care visits were reduced by 0.57 visits per year (interquartile interval: reduction of 0.33 to 1.71 visits per year). Only three studies reported outcomes among adults with asthma, finding inconsistent results.

CONCLUSIONS

Home-based, multi-trigger, multicomponent interventions with an environmental focus are effective in improving overall quality of life and productivity in children and adolescents with asthma. The effectiveness of these interventions in adults is inconclusive due to the small number of studies and inconsistent results. Additional studies are needed to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions in adults and (2) determine the individual contributions of the various intervention components.

Family and home asthma services across the Controlling Asthma in American Cities Project

Asthma is among the most common chronic childhood diseases, affecting 6.8 million children nationwide. The highest rates of morbidity and mortality associated with the disease occur among those living in the inner city. Because asthma is a complex disease affected by physiological, social, environmental, and behavioral factors, interventions to reduce its morbidity burden need to address multiple determinants of health. In response to this need, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed a multisite cooperative agreement for the Controlling Asthma in American Cities Project (CAAC), with the primary goal of developing innovative, effective community-based interventions. All CAAC sites found a need for family and home asthma services (FHAS) and developed multicomponent (e.g., asthma self-management, social services, coordinated care) and multitrigger environmental interventions. This paper presents a synthesis of key program variables and process indicators for six CAAC FHAS interventions for consideration by communities, coalitions, or programs planning to implement similar activities.

Improving pediatric asthma control among minority children participating in medicaid: providing practice redesign support to deliver a chronic care model

BACKGROUND

Asthma, a leading chronic disease of children, currently affects about 6.2 million (8.5%) children in the United States. Despite advances in asthma research and availability of increasingly effective therapy, many children do not receive appropriate medications to control the disease, have over-reliance on reliever medication, and lack systematic follow-up care. The situation is even worse for poor inner-city and minority children who have significantly worse asthma rates, severity, and outcomes. National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Guidelines recommend a multimodal, chronic care approach.

OBJECTIVE

The authors assessed the effectiveness of practice redesign and computerized provider feedback in improving both practitioner adherence to National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Guidelines (NAEPP), and patient outcomes in 295 poor minority children across four Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC).

METHODS

In a nonrandomized, two-group (intervention versus comparison), two-phase trial, all sites were provided redesign support to provide quarterly well-asthma visits using structured visit forms, community health workers for outreach and follow-up, a Web-based disease registry for tracking and scheduling, and a provider education package. Intervention sites were given an additional Web-based, computerized patient-specific provider feedback system that produced a guideline-driven medication assessment prompt.

RESULTS

Logistic regression results showed that providers at intervention sites were more than twice as likely on average to prescribe guideline-appropriate medications after exposure to our feedback system during the Phase I enrollment period than providers at comparison sites (exp(B) = 2.351, confidence interval [CI] = 1.315-4.204). In Phase II (the post-enrollment visit period), hierarchical linear models (HLMs) and latent growth curves were used to show that asthma control improved significantly by .19 (SE = .05) on average for each of the remaining four visits (about 11% of a standard deviation), and improved even more for patients at intervention sites. These results show that implementation of practice redesign support guided by a pediatric chronic care model can improve provider adherence to treatment guidelines as well as patients' asthma control.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of patient-specific feedback for providers results in quicker adoption of guideline recommendations and potentially greater improvements in asthma control compared to the basic practice redesign support alone.

Community health workers and environmental interventions for children with asthma: a systematic review

Community health worker (CHW)-delivered, home-based environmental interventions for pediatric asthma were systematically reviewed. Seven PubMed/MEDLINE listed randomized controlled trials that encompassed the following intervention criteria were identified: (1) home-based; (2) delivered by a CHW; (3) delivered to families with children with asthma; and (4) addressed multiple environmental triggers for asthma. Details of research design, intervention type, and setting, interventionist, population served, and the evaluated outcomes were abstracted. Outcome assessment was broad and non-uniform. Categories included direct mediators of improved health outcomes, such as trigger-related knowledge, trigger reduction behaviors and allergen or exposure levels, and asthma-related health outcomes: change in lung function, medication use, asthma symptoms, activity limitations, and health care utilization. Indirect mediators of health outcomes, or psychosocial influences on health, were measured in few studies. Overall, the studies consistently identified positive outcomes associated with CHW-delivered interventions, including decreased asthma symptoms, daytime activity limitations, and emergency and urgent care use. However, improvements in trigger reduction behaviors and allergen levels, hypothesized mediators of these outcomes, were inconsistent. Trigger reduction behaviors appeared to be tied to study-based resource provision. To better understand the mechanism through which CHW-led environmental interventions cause a change in asthma-related health outcomes, information on the theoretical concepts that mediate behavior change in trigger control (self-efficacy, social support) is needed. In addition, evaluating the influence of CHWs as clinic liaisons that enhance access to health professionals, complement clinic-based teaching, and improve appropriate use of asthma medications should be considered, alongside their effect on environmental management. A conceptual model identifying pathways for future investigation is presented.

Monitoring and reducing exposure of infants to pollutants in house dust

The health risks to babies from pollutants in house dust may be 100 times greater than for adults. The young ingest more dust and are up to ten times more vulnerable to such exposures. House dust is the main exposure source for infants to allergens, lead, and PBDEs, as well as a major source of exposure to pesticides, PAHs, Gram-negative bacteria, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, phthalates, phenols, and other EDCs, mutagens, and carcinogens. Median or upper percentile concentrations in house dust of lead and several pesticides and PAHs may exceed health-based standards in North America. Early contact with pollutants among the very young is associated with higher rates of chronic illness such as asthma, loss of intelligence, ADHD, and cancer in children and adults. The potential of infants, who live in areas with soil contaminated by automotive and industrial emissions, can be given more protection by improved home cleaning and hand washing. Babies who live in houses built before 1978 have a prospective need for protection against lead exposures; homes built before 1940 have even higher lead exposure risks. The concentration of pollutants in house dust may be 2-32 times higher than that found in the soil near a house. Reducing infant exposures, at this critical time in their development, may reduce lifetime health costs, improve early learning, and increase adult productivity. Some interventions show a very rapid payback. Two large studies provide evidence that home visits to reduce the exposure of children with poorly controlled asthma triggers may return more than 100% on investment in 1 yr in reduced health costs. The tools provided to families during home visits, designed to reduce dust exposures, included vacuum cleaners with dirt finders and HEPA filtration, allergy control bedding covers, high-quality door mats, and HEPA air filters. Infants receive their highest exposure to pollutants in dust at home, where they spend the most time, and where the family has the most mitigation control. Normal vacuum cleaning allows deep dust to build up in carpets where it can be brought to the surface and become airborne as a result of activity on the carpet. Vacuums with dirt finders allow families to use the three-spot test to monitor deep dust, which can reinforce good cleaning habits. Motivated families that receive home visits from trained outreach workers can monitor and reduce dust exposures by 90% or more in 1 wk. The cost of such visits is low considering the reduction of risks achieved. Improved home cleaning is one of the first results observed among families who receive home visits from MHEs and CHWs. We believe that proven intervention methods can reduce the exposure of infants to pollutants in house dust, while recognizing that much remains to be learned about improving the effectiveness of such methods.

Health technology assessment of asthma disease management programs

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To provide a critical opinion on the extent to which asthma disease management programs currently improve the effectiveness and efficiency of care and directions for future policy and research.

RECENT FINDINGS

The methodological quality of health technology assessment of asthma disease management programs remains moderate. Asthma disease management programs are predominantly educational and organizational in nature and focus either on children or on adults. Paediatric disease management programs make more effort to outreach into patients' living environments and show higher participation rates than those targeting adults. Reductions in asthma-related hospitalization, emergency department, and unplanned clinic visits range from 0 to 85%, 87% and 71%, respectively. Aspects of self-management and organization of care improved after the implementation of disease management programs. Almost no impact on asthma symptoms, lung function or the use of long-term control medication was found.

SUMMARY

There is accumulating 'circumstantial' evidence that disease management programs reduce resource utilization. The analytical rigor and uniformity of health technology assessment of asthma disease management programs has improved, but the generalizability of results remains uncertain. Practical, multicentre, clinical trials including broad representative study samples should be performed in different settings to increase methodological quality and substantiate current findings.