1. Improvements in health care use associated with community coalitions: long-term results of the allies against asthma initiative.
- Author
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Clark NM, Lachance LL, Benedict MB, Doctor LJ, Gilmore L, Kelly CS, Krieger J, Lara M, Meurer J, Milanovich AF, Nicholas E, Song PX, Rosenthal M, Stoll SC, Awad DF, and Wilkin M
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Ambulatory Care statistics & numerical data, Asthma ethnology, California, Child, Child, Preschool, Cohort Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, District of Columbia, Emergency Service, Hospital statistics & numerical data, Female, Hospitalization statistics & numerical data, Humans, Male, Medicaid statistics & numerical data, Philadelphia, Proportional Hazards Models, Residence Characteristics, United States, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Asthma prevention & control, Delivery of Health Care statistics & numerical data, Health Care Coalitions, Health Promotion, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Poverty
- Abstract
Objectives: We assessed changes in asthma-related health care use by low-income children in communities across the country where 6 Allies Against Asthma coalitions (Hampton Roads, VA; Washington, DC; Milwaukee, WI; King County/Seattle, WA; Long Beach, CA; and Philadelphia, PA) mobilized stakeholders to bring about policy changes conducive to asthma control., Methods: Allies intervention zip codes were matched with comparison communities by median household income, asthma prevalence, total population size, and race/ethnicity. Five years of data provided by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services on hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) use, and physician urgent care visits for children were analyzed. Intervention and comparison sites were compared with a stratified recurrent event analysis using a Cox proportional hazard model., Results: In most of the assessment years, children in Allies communities were significantly less likely (P < .04) to have an asthma-related hospitalization, ED visit, or urgent care visit than children in comparison communities. During the entire period, children in Allies communities were significantly less likely (P < .02) to have such health care use., Conclusions: Mobilizing a diverse group of stakeholders, and focusing on policy and system changes generated significant reductions in health care use for asthma in vulnerable communities.
- Published
- 2013
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