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The Changing pO2licy: The Elements for Improving Childhood Asthma Outcomes report resulted from a landmark study by health policy researchers at The George Washington University (GW) School of Public Health and Health Services to determine why American children are not benefiting more from science-based asthma treatment and management, and the policy reforms that are essential to improve outcomes for these children.

The report was funded by the Merck Childhood Asthma Network and the RCHN Community Health Foundation.

Learn more about addressing the complex and growing problem of childhood asthma.

To address the complex and persistent problem of asthma among children in the United States
and enhance access to quality asthma management and care, The Merck Company Foundation
has established the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN). The creation of MCAN is
consistent with Merck’s commitment to putting patients first by improving access to medicines,
vaccines, and quality health care.

The Common Data Elements and Demographic survey instruments were created to collect
standardized outcome information from patients enrolled in the five MCAN sites.

The Common Data Elements and Demographic survey instruments were created to collect standardized outcome information from patients enrolled in the five MCAN sites.

The Manual of Operations provides instructions for administering the surveys, data entry and coding, formatting and storage, delivery of the data to RTI International, and the schedule for data delivery.

A substantial proportion of low-income children with asthma living in rural
western North Carolina have suboptimal asthma management. To address the needs of these
underserved children, we developed and implemented the Regional Asthma Disease
Management Program (RADMP); RADMP was selected as one of 13 demonstration projects
for the National Asthma Control Initiative (NACI).

Researchers examined data on the outcomes of tailored evidence-based interventions in five low-income communities with high rates of pediatric asthma morbidity. The study found that health care providers in low-income communities with varying levels of resources and disease severity can tailor interventions to each child's needs and make substantial gains in outcomes across a range of risk profiles.

The Action Plan, a key activity of the President’s Task Force on Children’s Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks, advises that substantial progress in reducing disparities will require research to design, execute and evaluate implementation programs that maximize synergies among all key sectors to create a system of care that focuses on children most in need and reaches them where they live, learn and play.

The purpose of this FOA is to support clinical trials to evaluate Asthma Care Implementation Programs (ACIP) that provide comprehensive care for children at high risk of poor asthma outcomes. The community-based ACIPs are expected to address the needs of the U.S. community in which the study will be conducted and integrate interventions with demonstrated efficacy from four different sectors (medical care, family, home, and community). Applications must include a trial designed to assess if the ACIP improves asthma outcomes relative to an appropriate comparator(s) and a subsequent period of observation to evaluate sustainability. While there are several other necessary elements of the trials, it is critical that the outcomes/endpoints include measures of the process used to implement the evidence based interventions. The ACIP will involve investigators who have established collaborations with representatives from the four sectors who have committed resources to the ACIP. Given the potential impact of the interventions on the local community, the sustainability of the program will be formally assessed during the project period. Finally, investigators must plan for dissemination of the program beyond their own community. This initiative is designed as a cooperative agreement to enable collaboration among investigators on the implementation metrics to be used, the quality improvement efforts to be conducted throughout the funding period, and how to establish best practices. - See more at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-17-001.html#sthash.yjOYU3Bn.dpuf