Reducing asthma disparities – Baltimore's successful replication effort

Baltimore City's Reducing Asthma Disparities Program, a replication of Seattle King County's effective program ¹ funded by CDC, began enrollment in May 2009. In March 2012, the program will complete one year follow-up visits for more than 110 participants. We will report results, comparing findings to results from Seattle King County ¹, and report on efforts to sustain home visiting efforts for children with asthma in Baltimore. Preliminary data for 63 children has found a significant decreases in average reported asthma symptoms during a two week period: decrease of 1.8 days with symptoms (p<=.01), decrease of 1.5 nights with symptoms (p=0.015), decrease of 2.2 days in stopping usual activity (p<=.01), decrease if 2.4 days in use of rescue medication (p<=.01) and average decrease of one emergency department visit per child (p<=.01). In addition, participants reported increased use of daily controller medication of 3.5 days during a 14 day period (p<=.01). Although the total number of reported hospitalizations was reduced from 28 to 10, the average reduction of hospitalizations across study children was not statistically significant (p=0.11). Potential cost savings of the program to third party payers based on averting hospitalization and emergency department visits was estimated at $573/child. ¹ Krieger JW, Takaro TK, Song L, Weaver M. The Seattle-King County Healthy Homes Project: a randomized, controlled trial of a community health worker intervention to decrease exposure to indoor asthma triggers. Am J Public Health 2005; 95(4):652-9.