Other Health Care Provider

The four Care Coordination program sites participated in a cross-site evaluation led by the Center for Managing Chronic Disease at the University of Michigan to assess outcome and process measures focused on care coordination and clinical outcomes.  The following survey was the source for quantitative cross-site data, and was administered at 12 months.  Preliminary findings from this initiative across four program sites indicate that the percent of participants with “not well controlled” asthma decreased from 49 percent at baseline to 18 percent at 12 month follow-up.  

The Caregiver Satisfaction Survey was utilized within the Daughters of Charity clinics to assess patient and caregiver impressions of their encounter with the asthma educator. Patients and/or caregivers completed the Satisfaction Survey after each encounter.

The purpose of this guide is to support school-based health center staff in leading or supporting evidence-based strategies and promising practices to reduce exposure to environmental asthma triggers. Although there is a broad array of evidence-based interventions to address asthma triggers, many people with asthma continue to be exposed to the factors that make their asthma worse. School-based health centers (SBHCs) are uniquely positioned to address this gap in order to help children breathe easier. While many SBHCs across the country are already playing a key role in helping students manage their asthma by providing quality clinical care and education there is an opportunity for SBHCs to also be leaders in managing the environmental factors that make asthma worse.

The guide describes the relationship between asthma and a number of environmental asthma triggers and shares scientific evidence that SBHC staff can cite when educating others on the need to address environmental asthma triggers. This is followed by five sections each tackling a strategy, or broad category of intervention, that SBHC staff could lead or support. They include:

• Education
• Case Management
• Improving Indoor Air Quality in Schools
• Improving the Students’ Home Environments
• Improving Outdoor Air Quality Around the School and Community

Each section provides an overview of the type of intervention, points to specific tools and resources, and suggests how SBHC staff can lead or support implementation. The array of interventions is intended to serve as a “menu” from which SBHC can choose depending on their interests, resources, and the particular needs of their patient population. While a comprehensive approach that works across settings and utilizes multiple strategies is likely most effective for reducing the burden of asthma, any step that SBHCs can take to reduce exposure to environmental asthma triggers will help students breathe easier. Reading this guide is the first step!