Publications
- Projected Cost Savings of a Community Health Worker Model for Asthma Home Visits in the Massachusetts Medicaid Population 2024
Health and economic benefits of a community health worker (CHW)-led model for asthma home visiting interventions have been established as a beneficial method. This published article reveals that expanding a CHW-led asthma home visiting model could be an effective method to reduce Medicaid costs for Massachusetts Medicaid (MassHealth) patients and improve asthma outcomes. - Home Visits for Children with Asthma Reduce Medicaid Costs (2020)
The Reducing Ethnic/Racial Asthma Disparities in Youth (READY) study highlights the effectiveness of CHW asthma home visiting intervention methods (i.e., the CHW model) for children with uncontrolled asthma on MassHealth. In this published article, the CHW model was associated with significant improvements in asthma control, health care use, environmental trigger reduction, and provided a positive return on investment for study participants.
Reports
- Asthma-Related Emergency Department Visits in Massachusetts 2022 (PDF) | (DOCX)
Asthma affects people of all ages and is a significant public health problem, with visits to the Emergency Department (ED) sometimes being necessary in response to asthma attacks. In this brief, a statewide data source is used to describe asthma-related ED visits in Massachusetts. - Factors Associated with Asthma Management in Massachusetts 2022 (PDF) | (DOCX)
People with asthma can control their disease and live healthy active lives. This report presents self-report data from the Asthma Call-back Survey on a variety of factors associated with management and classifications for asthma control among adults and children in Massachusetts reporting current asthma in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. - Asthma-Related Hospitalizations in Massachusetts 2022 (PDF) | (DOCX)
Although asthma is a condition that is largely controllable with appropriate management and the need for hospitalizations can be considered preventable, many people are not able to adequately keep their condition under control. In this brief, a statewide data source is used to describe asthma-related hospitalizations in Massachusetts. - Incidence of Asthma among Adults and Children in Massachusetts 2022 (PDF) | (DOCX)
Information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and Asthma Call-back Surveys (ACBS) is used to estimate asthma incidence for adults and children. This brief will also examine at what age survey responders were first told by a doctor that they had asthma and time since first asthma diagnosis among adults and children using ACBS. - Pediatric Asthma Data Bulletin 2017 (PDF) | (DOC)
This bulletin provides an epidemiologic overview of asthma among children aged 19 and younger in Massachusetts. Topics include asthma prevalence, asthma-related hospital utilizations, asthma mortality, and asthma treatment guidelines. - Asthma Among Older Adults in Massachusetts 2011 (PDF) | (DOC)
Older adults have the second highest asthma hospitalization rate and the highest asthma mortality rate of any age group in the Commonwealth. This bulletin provides an epidemiologic overview of asthma among adults aged 65 and older in Massachusetts. It addresses a gap in information on asthma in this population in order to inform a task force of experts charged with developing recommendations for targeted asthma interventions for this group. - Prevalence of Asthma among Adults and Children in Massachusetts 2017 (PDF) | (DOCX)
This report provides asthma prevention advocates and professionals working with individuals affected by asthma with information needed to plan asthma prevention and control activities in Massachusetts. The data in this document highlight the continued need for aggressive action to improve asthma outcomes in the Commonwealth. - Asthma Public Health Council Presentation - 2009-2014 (PDF) | (DOC)
This presentation details the burden of asthma in Massachusetts and the 2009-2014 Strategic Plan goals to improve asthma control for Massachusetts residents.
Materials to support your work
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Toolkit (PDF)
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a prevention-based strategy that can provide long-lasting pest control, improve building conditions, and create healthier conditions for residents, maintenance staff, and pets. This toolkit is designed to help implement new IPM programs and assess and improve existing programs. - Massachusetts Asthma Action Partnership (MAAP), Clearing the Air: An Asthma Toolkit for Healthy Schools
MAAP brings together state agencies, local health and human service organizations, health care providers, and housing and education stakeholders to reduce asthma health disparities and improve the quality of life for all people with asthma in the Commonwealth. They maintain a toolkit containing sample policy language, best practices, and curated resources & tools to help schools create an asthma-friendly learning and working environment. - Caring for Kids with Asthma: A Guide for Massachusetts Child Care Programs 2013 (PDF) | (DOC)
This guide is for childcare educators who work in Massachusetts — whether you work in center-based or home-based settings. Here you can find information about how to help care for these children. This guide includes information about recognizing asthma symptoms, partnering with parents in caring for asthma, and removing things that can trigger asthma. Also, there are tips about how you can work with parents to manage a child’s asthma. - CHW-led Asthma Home Visiting for High-risk Children 2016 (PDF) | (DOC)
Provides background and guidance to help healthcare providers implement this proven model that incorporates the services of community health workers (CHW), who, guided by a healthcare team, counsels and support clients while conducting a series of home visits. - Adult and Child Asthma Action Plans
This form, when completed by health care providers, gives parents and school personnel a written asthma management plan for children. It identifies personal best peak flow, levels of symptom severity, and appropriate patient action. The asthma action plan also contains Student Medication Administration Authorization.
Archive materials
- Strategic Plan for Asthma in Massachusetts 2015-2020
The goals, objectives and strategies listed in this strategic plan represent the collective opinion on what is needed and achievable to address asthma from 2015-2020. - Community Fact Sheets
Pediatric asthma has serious consequences for the children and families it affects — and their communities. DPH’s Asthma Prevention and Control program worked with six Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund communities that have higher prevalence of pediatric asthma to develop Community Fact Sheets. The fact sheets identify school and work absence rates, health care costs and utilization, and asthma triggers.