Strategies for Improving Asthma Outcomes: A Case-Based Review of Successes and Pitfalls

Several comprehensive community-based asthma management programshave been developed in recent years. Their central goal is to provideaccess to quality asthma care to achieve successful long-term diseasemanagement. The Kansas City Children’s Asthma Management Program(KC CAMP) and the Asthma Network of West Michigan (ANWM) share manyof the same objectives, which include educating patients, families, thecommunity, and health care providers about asthma care, advocating onbehalf of those who need care, and allocating resources to provide care.Education to promote behavioral changes in health care providers enrolledin KC CAMP was achieved through didactic sessions and was consideredsuccessful; provider and staff satisfaction increased, as did compliancewith treatment guidelines. ANWM seeks to promote prevention ratherthan crisis care by providing home visits, physician care conferences togenerate asthma management plans, and social workers to address psychosocialbarriers to care. Funding from multiple resources is essential formaintaining the programs. In addition, staff work with corporate sponsors,governmental agencies, and individual donors to ensure the programs’ success.The benefits of KC-CAMP and ANWM are evident with data showingdramatic declines in emergency department visits, hospitalizations, andoverall health care costs for asthma care.