Government

The Healthy Homes University program (HHU; Lead and Healthy Homes Section, Division of Environmental Health, MDCH), provides intervention services to 300 households where low-income children less than 18 years of age with asthma reside. The program has completed 301 homes to date.

As of May 2008, a significant reduction in symptom outcomes and missed school day from baseline to six-months has occurred as a result of the HHU program. Additionally, acute visits (ER + unscheduled clinic visits) and hospitalizations significantly decreased from baseline to six months post intervention. As a result, the quality of life of the children with asthma and families has improved.

The HUD Healthy Homes grant ends October 30, 2008. However, the grant proposal was submitted on July 17, 2008. We expect to know if we have been re-funded any day!

The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) was initiated in March 1989 to address the growing problem of asthma in the United States. The NAEPP is administered and coordinated by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The NAEPP works with intermediaries including major medical associations, voluntary health organizations, and community programs to educate patients, health professionals, and the public. The ultimate goal of the NAEPP is to enhance the quality of life for patients with asthma and decrease asthma-related morbidity and mortality.

The Goals of the NAEPP include:

Raise awareness of patients, health professionals, and the public that asthma is a serious chronic disease.
Ensure the recognition of the symptoms of asthma by patients, families, and the public and the appropriate diagnosis by health professionals.
Ensure effective control of asthma by encouraging a partnership among patients, physicians, and other health professionals through modern treatment and education programs.
To accomplish these broad program goals, the NAEPP works with intermediaries including major medical associations, voluntary health organizations, and community programs to educate patients, health professionals, and the public. The ultimate goal of the NAEPP is to enhance the quality of life for patients with asthma and decrease asthma-related morbidity and mortality.

NAEPP Objectives For Patients and the Public

Increase public awareness of asthma as a significant public health problem.
Increase public awareness of the signs and symptoms of asthma.
Improve the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of patients regarding the detection, treatment, and control of asthma, particularly in high-risk populations.
Define guidelines for effective asthma education programs.
Promote development, dissemination, and use of patient and family education materials.

For Health Professionals

Increase knowledge, attitudes, and skills of all health professionals regarding signs, symptoms, and management strategies for asthma.
Encourage health professionals treating patients with asthma to adequately track and monitor patient status and to use objective measures of lung function.
Assist and encourage health professional schools and continuing education programs to include up-to-date and accurate information on diagnosis, pathogenesis, and treatment of patients with asthma.
Promote and encourage the concept of active patient participation with the physician in the management of asthma.
Develop resources and materials for use by health professionals.
Promote research to answer unresolved questions about underlying causes of asthma and appropriate asthma treatment and management practices.

Using surveillance data, MDPH has identified four priority populations for its program representing those groups most at risk for asthma hospitalization. (1) Children ages 0-4 (highest rates of hospitalization, observation stays, and Emergency Department (ED) visits of any age group). (2) Blacks and Hispanics (3-4 times the rates of hospitalization, observation stays, and ED visits as Caucasians); (3) Adults ages 65 and up (hospitalization rates higher than the statewide average, second only to children); (4) Residents of several regions with substantially higher ED and hospitalization rates than the statewide average.

Funded by the CDC's National Asthma Control Program, MDPH has the the goal of reducing the asthma hospitalization rate by at least 9% of the 2002 baseline rate by 2009. The Asthma Prevention and Control Program accomplishes this goal by 1) conducting asthma surveillance, 2) working with statewide and regional partnerships, 3) using regulatory, education, and training interventions to reduce exposures in homes, licensed child-care centers, schools, workplaces, and councils on aging and 4) improving disease management by increasing the number of health care sites using evidence-based clinical guidelines and supporting the use of child and adult Asthma Action Plans.