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Abstract #147465

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Richard S. Kurz, PhD, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Sciences Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ft. Worth, TX 76107, 817-735-2323, rkurz@hsc.unt.edu, Mary E. Homan, MA, Saint Louis University, School of Public Health, 3545 Lafayette Ave., St. Louis, MO 63104, Sharon M. Homan, PhD, School of Public Health, St. Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104, Kristin D. Wilson, MHA, St. Louis University School of Public Health, Salus Center Rm. 350, 3545 Lafayette, St. Louis, MO 63104, Michelle Sunshine-Hankins, MSW, LCSW, Catholic Charities Community Services at Midtown, 1202 S. Boyle Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, and Jamie R. Saunders, MSW, Catholic Charities Community Services-St. Jane Center, 7005 Ascension Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63121.

The study assesses the effects of a community agency intervention, Asthma H.E.L.P., on diagnosed asthmatic children's care management, health services use, and perceived quality of life. Populations of 80 children at two sites of a community agency received visits throughout the year. Asthma-educated social workers gathered information about the children's activities at each visit through a detailed checklist, and on their quality of life through an annual Juniper Survey. Two years of data have been collected. The intervention, Asthma H.E.L.P., provides families with support in the home regarding health care and asthma, environmental triggers, and suggestions for the prevention of asthma episodes. The population includes children in St. Louis inner-city areas whose parents sought assistance through the community agency. The Asthma H.E.L.P. intervention significantly impacted the process of care through the provision and use of asthma action plans for both sites, and the provision and use of bed covers at one site. Controller usage also increased across sites. The intervention produced appropriate declines in services usage, which may indicate reduced asthma morbidity for these children. Declines in use of both emergency departments and hospitals occurred at both sites but did not reach statistical significance. The Asthma H.E.L.P. program demonstrates that an asthma management program can be integrated into the casework process of a community agency in which social workers have received asthma education. Such an integrated program can decrease the use of emergency departments and hospitals, reducing the cost of care of clients and third party payers.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe an evidence-based approach for linking case management and asthma management in a home visit.
• Identify a method for assessing asthma outcomes as part of home visit.

Keywords: Asthma, Home Visiting

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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