327952
Community Health Workers are the Eyes and Ears of the Physicians
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Kim Artis, AA,
Sinai Urban Health Institute, Sinai Health System, Chicago, IL
Helen Margellos-Anast, MPH,
Sinai Urban Health Institute, Sinai Health System,, Sinai Urban Health Institute, Sinai Health System,, Chicago, IL
The Westside of Chicago is disproportionately affected by asthma and environmental factors that exacerbate the condition. Asthma prevalence is 24%, nearly twice the national rate of 14%. This presentation, given by a Community Health Worker (CHW), will discuss how CHWs combat asthma disparities and improve health outcomes. In a six month home-based asthma intervention, CHWs worked with children and adults living in public housing who have poorly controlled asthma. They provided comprehensive, individualized asthma education and assistance reducing and eliminating asthma triggers during home visits. CHWs also helped patients navigate the healthcare system by enrolling participants in insurance programs or finding a primary care physician (PCP). CHWs developed an Asthma Action Plan (AAP) for each participant and communicated with PCPs regarding medications and the presence of asthma triggers in the home. Of the 115 children and adults completing the intervention, there was an 83% reduction in ED visits among children and 44% among adults. There was also a significant reduction in daytime and nighttime asthma symptoms and improvement in quality of life.CHWs are able to provide quality time educating and supporting participants on asthma management, which enables them to connect and develop trusting relationships with their participants. Through this, they are able to adequately communicate pertinent information between patients and PCPs, a vital yet challenging relationship in medical care. CHWs have a unique ability to be the eyes and ears of physicians, helping to reduce ED visits, improve overall asthma management, and empower patients to advocate for themselves.
Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Chronic disease management and prevention
Provision of health care to the public
Learning Objectives:
Describe the critical role of a community health worker in asthma management.
Identify ways community health workers promote communication between patients and their physicians.
Describe how CHWs establish a connection with patients
Keyword(s): Community Health Workers and Promoters, Asthma
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been a trained community health worker, in the area of asthma, for the Sinai Urban Health Institute for the past 3 years. I served as a CHW on the 2 year program discussed in this abstract.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
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.
