Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116977

Polly Hoppin, ScD, Environmental Health Initiative, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 800 Suffolk St., 5th Floor, Lowell, MA 01854, 978-934-4941, polly_hoppin@uml.edu, Sara Donahue, Environmental Health Initiative, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, 600 Suffolk Street, 5th Floor, Lowell, MA 01854, and Laurie Stillman, MM, Asthma Regional Council of New England, The Medical Foundation, 622 Washington St., 2nd floor, Dorchester, MA 02124.

In response to rapidly emerging research on the effectiveness of environmental interventions for asthma, the New England Asthma Regional Council (ARC) initiated a project in 2003 to encourage providers and payers—particularly those with high-risk patient populations--to incorporate in-home environmental education and services in asthma management programs. Project activities have included the development of a white paper that describes the state of the science on interventions such as dust-mite covers, integrated pest management and air filters; proposes three models for the delivery of the interventions; and reviews the experience of health plans and other organizations in expanding their asthma management programs to include these kinds of activities. The white paper provided background for a symposium held in December 2004, at which researchers, payers, and government representatives met to discuss opportunities and challenges in moving new evidence into policy and practice. This presentation will describe the ARC initiative and preliminary results of a pilot project with a New England health plan.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to
• describe the current evidence on effectiveness of environmental interventions;
• identify strategies for engaging with payers, providers, employers, policy-makers, and others who influence financing decisions to promote adoption of effective environmental interventions; and
• consider the relevance of the New England experience to their region.

Keywords: Asthma, Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.