Recorded presentation

Frances D. Butterfoss, PhD, Center for Pediatric Research, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 855 W. Brambleton Ave, Norfolk, VA 23510, 757-668-6429, fbutterf@chkd.org, Jane W. Peterson, RN, PhD, College of Nursing, Seattle University, 900 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122-4340, James W Krieger, MD, MPH, Public Health-Seattle & King County and University of Washington Schools of Public Health and Medicine, 999 Third Ave Suite 1200, Seattle, WA 98104, and Lisa Gilmore, MBA, MSW, DC Asthma Coalition, 475 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001.

Background: Community Health Workers (CHWs) are employed across 7 Allies Against Asthma sites. Using a Natural Helper Model, CHWs make home visits to increase parents’ knowledge, and self-efficacy and actions to manage their child’s asthma through environmental assessment and education. Through community outreach, they raise awareness of asthma and link people affected by asthma with community resources and medical care. Methods: CHWs were recruited from the communities they serve and share culture with their clients. Sites differed as to how CHW programs were developed and maintained, including the: 1) CHW roles in the community, 2) credentials and levels of training and certification, 3) funding and supervision, and 4) range of services provided. Results: CHWs are effective in reaching community residents and sustaining relationships with them to achieve program aims. We will describe differences and similarities in program implementation across sites. Demographics of families served by CHWs across sites, attributes of successful CHWs, and baseline data on key health indicators (e.g., health insurance status, access to care, asthma self-care and management behaviors) will be presented. Benefits of implementing CHW programs as well as challenges to sustaining and managing programs will be discussed. Conclusions: Our initial experience with CHW programs suggests that CHWs can find clients, perform environmental home assessments, identify beneficial behavioral goals, assess morbidity related to pediatric asthma, link families to health care providers and other community services and provide data on which to build comprehensive asthma education and awareness programs in disadvantaged communities.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation, participants should be able to

• Identify the range of models and approaches for Community Health Workers (CHWs) employed to improve the self-management and control of asthma in children in community settings
• Provide a profile of the population served and services provided by the Allies Against Asthma CHWs across 7 national sites
• Identify 3 unique challenges of implementing a Community Health Worker program

Keywords: Community Health Promoters, Asthma

Related Web page: alliesagainstasthma.net

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: This program is supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: The programs described in this session are supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Recorded presentation