In 1997 The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, to establish the Community Asthma Prevention Program (CAPP) in West Philadelphia. The program was formed in order to conduct classes for families in familiar environments such as community centers, churches and schools; measure knowledge acquisition and retention; and measure self-management behavior changes.
Since 1997 CAPP has been conducting community education classes in schools, churches, daycare centers and other locations in Philadelphia. CAPP classes are currently offered in the West Philadelphia, South, Southwest, and North Philadelphia areas of the city. CAPP classes for parents and caregivers are group-facilitated by parent educators who have been trained by CAPP staff to conduct classes. The classes for children are led by teens and college students who are peer educators and who are trained to use the curriculum. Our goal in using a "train the trainer" model is to leave neighborhoods and communities with lay asthma experts and in this way, sustain asthma prevention efforts.
Using collected data from our classes, we have demonstrated that asthma knowledge, asthma control and asthma quality of life have improved in participants who have attended classes and that this improvement is maintained for at least one year. In a study of 267 West Philadelphia class participants, retention of knowledge, asthma control and asthma quality of life significantly improved as compared to before class participation.
In the latter part of 1998, CAPP began its Home Visitor Program in order to address the home environment of the asthmatic child. In this program, trained lay-educators or "home visitors" visit families of asthma patients who are enrolled in either our West Philadelphia or North Philadelphia studies. Enrolled patients meet several eligibility requirements, including resident zip code.
Through CAPP's program in Philadelphia public and charter schools, we offer free asthma workshops for all school personnel.
In the Fall of 2005 CAPP began working with public and charter schools in Philadelphia to bring asthma classes to children at school. Each class series provides four, one hour classes, designed for children in grades 1 through 12 who have asthma. Clear and practical asthma management techniques are taught to the children, with parents participating in the final class session.
As part of the Controlling Asthma in American Cities project, we provide primary care provider (PCP) education to equip primary care practitioners and their staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to improve asthma management of children. Based on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) guidelines, we offer three levels of PCP education from which the practitioner may choose.