Asthma
Conditions
Keywords
asthma
Brief summary
This study tests the hypothesis that community health workers providing home visits to provide education and support for self-management of asthma, assessment of the home for environmental triggers, resources for asthma control, and assistance in effective communication with medical providers over the course of one year would reduce asthma morbidity, asthma-related urgent health care use and exposure to indoor asthma triggers among low income adults with not well controlled asthma.
Detailed description
We used a randomized controlled parallel group design to compare the intervention to a usual-care control group. We attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in the real world, rather than its ideal efficacy. The CHWs used protocols that specified education content, participant skill development and participant and CHW actions. The CHWs modified their approach to meet the priorities of participants using motivational interviewing techniques. They addressed asthma patho-physiology, reliever and controller medication use, self-monitoring, use of an asthma action plan, environmental assessment, trigger avoidance, effective use of the health care system, successful communication with health care providers, and weight control (obesity is associated with increased asthma symptoms). Participants also received low-literacy educational materials, in English or Spanish. The education concepts and environmental assessment activities were based on our prior healthy homes work modified for adults.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALCommunity Health Worker support
For the intervention group, a trained Community Health Worker (CHW) provided education, support and service coordination through home visits. The CHW first made an in home assessment visit. At the assessment visit, the participant had the opportunity to ask questions and sign written consent. During this visit, the CHW assessed the participant's knowledge of asthma, current status of asthma control, challenges with controlling asthma, self-management practices and exposure to asthma triggers. After enrollment, the participant received up to four follow-up educational visits 0.5, 1.5, 3.5 and 7 months later. In addition to scheduled visits, the CHWs worked with their participants on an as-needed basis via telephone, email, or additional home visits.
Sponsors
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Public Health - Seattle and King County
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* residence of King County Washington * household income below the 250% of the 2007 federal poverty level * had not well controlled asthma or very poorly controlled asthma
Exclusion criteria
* speak a language other than English or Spanish * no permanent housing
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| asthma symptom-free days during the last two weeks | baseline and 12 months after enrollment | Asthma symptoms are evaluated using the following questions: 1. During the past 14 days (that is, during the past fourteen 24 hour periods that include daytime and nighttime), on how many DAYS did you have any asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, waking up at night because of asthma symptoms, or slowing down of usual activities because of asthma? 2. During the DAYTIME in the past 14 days, how many DAYS did you have asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, cough, tightness in the chest, or shortness of breath? 3. During the past 14 days, how many days did you have to slow down or stop your usual activities because of asthma, wheezing or tightness in the chest, or cough? 4. During the NIGHTTIME in the past 14 nights, how many NIGHTS did you WAKE UP because of asthma, wheezing, cough, tightness in the chest, or shortness of breath?. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Asthma-related quality of life score during the last two weeks | baseline and 12 months after enrollment | Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire http://www.qoltech.co.uk/aqlq.html |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| health care utilization | baseline and 12 months after enrollment | health care utilization includes asthma-related hospitalization, emergency department visit, and unscheduled clinic visit during the past 12 months |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed