Improving Asthma-related Morbidity Among Underserved Adult Populations

One in twelve people nationally are living with asthma. Of these 25 million people, nearly 73% are adults. Studies consistently show asthma prevalence and associated morbidity to be highest among African American adults and those living below the federal poverty level. Compared with their non-Hispanic White counterparts, African Americans in Chicago are eight times more likely to die from asthma, nine times more likely to visit the ED and six times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma. The Helping Chicago’s Westside Adults Breathe and Thrive program is one of the first across the country to implement the Community Health Worker (CHW) model to work exclusively with adults with asthma to improve management and reduce asthma-related morbidity.  CHWs visit the homes of adults with uncontrolled asthma living on Chicago’s Westside six times in one year, providing asthma self-management education.  Additionally, CHWs assist program participants with finding a primary care physician and connecting them with other medical and social services.  After 13 months of active recruitment, 117 adults have been enrolled in the program. We have already seen a 60% reduction in daytime symptoms for the 40 (34%) adults who have completed six months of follow-up. Additionally, hospitalizations due to asthma have decreased by 66% and asthma-related ED visits have decreased by 56%. Preliminary results from one of the first adult-focused, CHW-led home-based interventions are promising.  Such results will help strengthen evidence that CHWs are effective at improving overall asthma management among African American adults living in underserved areas.