Asthma
- Program Link to Community Needs Assessment
- Program Description
- Goals and Objectives
- Strategy
- Baseline Information
- Medical Center's Contribution or Program Expense
- Results
- Amendments to Community Benefit Plan
Program Link to Community Needs Assessment
The incidence of asthma remains high in our community. The hospitalization and emergency room visit rates for Alameda County rank fifth highest in the State of California.
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Program Description
All uninsured and underinsured patients who are seen in the emergency department with an asthma diagnosis are contacted by phone and invited to attend an individual session(s) to assist them with asthma management. The Asthma Resource Center does not provide clinical care, but exists to provide education and tools for asthma management.
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Goals and Objectives
The Asthma Resource Center exists to improve the emergency treatment of all patients with asthma, and to decrease hospitalizations and Emergency Room visits, with a focus on uninsured and underinsured individuals.
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Strategy
Potential causes for the high rate of emergency department visits and admissions may include poor living conditions, inaccessibility to health care and limited funding for medications, poor understanding of the disease process, noncompliance with the treatment routine or ineffective inhalation medication techniques. By providing easy access to care, education, equipment and medication, patients are able to better manage their asthma and avoid visits to the Emergency Department or hospital admission. Patients are identified in the emergency department and contacted by the Resource Center director for education and free equipment and medication as needed. Not only are patients provided tools and medications, they are provided information about where and how to locate follow-up medical care in the community.
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Baseline Information
From 2006-2008, there were 6,534 asthma hospitalizations in Alameda County and 23,006 Emergency Department visits for asthma. Rates of asthma hospitalization were substantially higher in Oakland and Hayward, than in Alameda County as a whole.
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Medical Center's Contribution or Program Expense
The Asthma Resource Center is a community benefit program of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, with a staff of one working 6-8 hours/week. The medical center cash contribution is $25,000.
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Results
Since the inception of the program in 2001, the total emergency department visits have been reduced by 60% and in the targeted population of uninsured or underinsured, by 41%. There has been a continual decline in total asthma hospital admissions by 42% and the targeted population by 37%.
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Amendments to Community Benefit Plan
With additional staffing and resources, ARC would be able to provide more follow up to patients. It is difficult to schedule follow up visits with patients in a timely fashion. This represents a problem for patients who are unable to obtain medications immediately following their visit to the emergency department. The program is seeking additional funding.
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