Recorded presentation

Mayris P. Webber, DrPH, Epidemiology & Population Health & Montefiore School Health Program, Montefiore Medical Center/AECOM, 111 E. 210th St, Bronx, NY 10467, 718-655-0037, mwebber@montefiore.org, Michelle Odlum, RN, MPH, Montefiore School Health Program, Montefiore Medical Center, 3380 Reservoir Oval, Sublevel, Bronx, NY 10467, Anne-Marie Hoxie, MA, Psychology, Cealy Hall, Fordham University, 441 E. Fordham Rd., Bronx, NY 10458, and David K Appel, MD, Pediatrics and Family Medicine/Montefiore School Health Program, Montefiore Medical Center, 3380 Reservoir Oval, Sublevel, Bronx, NY 10467.

Background: Currently about 1,400 SBHCs provide care to 1.1 million children. To assess the effect of access to SBHCs for asthma care, we developed an intervention for children attending 6 Bronx, NYC, elementary schools, four with SBHCs and two without health centers. Objectives: To compare community provider visits and emergency department (ED) use for asthma according to children's enrollment at schools with or without SBHCs. Design: Prospective study followed children for up to 2½ years; parents provided information about the use of health services in the last 6 months. Results: 599 (60%) of 998 eligible children were enrolled, 455 (76%) from SBHC and 144 (24%) from comparison schools. Fewer children attending SBHC schools had ³1 visit to a community provider in the last 6 months (53.6% SBHC vs. 70.6% non-health center, OR=0.5; 95% CI 0.2, 0.9); further, SBHC children who saw community providers had fewer visits (mean 3.1 SBHC v. 4.7, p<.05). The proportion of children using the ED ³1 in the last 6 months was similar (17.5% SBHC vs. 21.6% comparison schools); however, at last follow-up, SBHC children who used the ED reported fewer visits (mean 1.9 SBHC vs. 4.5, p <.01). Conclusions: For children with asthma, access to SBHCs was associated with fewer visits to community providers and a lower mean number of ED visits, underscoring the importance of SBHCs in the larger health care system.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe an asthma intervention using SBHCs
• Select outcome measures for evaluation of the intervention
• Compare relative merits of each outcome measure

Keywords: School-Based Health Care, Asthma

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation