The Utility of Virtual Home Visits to Reduce Asthma Burden in Low-Income Black Communities in Louisiana During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

IF 3 4区医学 Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Public Health Reports Pub Date : 2024-07-01 Epub Date: 2024-03-21 DOI:10.1177/00333549241236090

Arundhati Bakshi, Elora Apantaku, Tracy Marquette, Colette Jacob, S Amanda Dumas, Kate Friedman, Kathleen Aubin, Shannon Soileau, Shaun Kemmerly

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Abstract

Objectives: The Louisiana Department of Health identified a need for greater outreach in low-income Black communities that addressed environmental asthma triggers. We piloted an asthma virtual home visit (VHV) program and evaluated its reach and ability to promote asthma self-management strategies in communities with a high prevalence of poorly controlled asthma.

Methods: Participants from Louisiana were continuously recruited into the VHV program starting in March 2021 and provided with asthma education materials. Participants reporting poorly controlled asthma and environmental triggers were also offered 3 VHVs with a respiratory therapist. All participants were asked to complete a preintervention and postintervention knowledge test, an Asthma Control Test (ACT) (maximum score = 25; scores ≤19 indicate poorly controlled asthma), and a final survey that assessed perceptions about asthma management and reduction of environmental triggers.

Results: As of October 2022, 147 participants were enrolled in the program, and 52 had consented to and received ≥1 VHV. Forty VHV recipients (77%) were aged <18 years, 40 (77%) were Black people, and 46 (88%) were from families with extremely low or low incomes. Asthma symptoms improved across all participants, with a median increase of 2.4 points on the ACT. Knowledge tests revealed that 86% of participants learned about ≥1 new asthma trigger; a larger percentage of VHV recipients than nonrecipients (68% vs 36%) had an improved knowledge test score postintervention. Compared with preintervention, about three-quarters of participants reported feeling more empowered to self-manage their asthma and a significant improvement in their quality of life postintervention.

Conclusions: The program provided virtual asthma education to communities with a high burden of asthma and improved asthma outcomes for participants. Similar virtual models can be used to promote health equity, especially in areas with limited access to health care.

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在 COVID-19 大流行期间，虚拟家访对减轻路易斯安那州低收入黑人社区哮喘负担的实用性。

目标：路易斯安那州卫生部认为有必要在低收入黑人社区开展更多针对环境哮喘诱发因素的宣传活动。我们试行了一项哮喘虚拟家访（VHV）计划，并评估了该计划在哮喘控制不佳的高发社区推广哮喘自我管理策略的范围和能力：从 2021 年 3 月开始，路易斯安那州的参与者不断被招募到 VHV 计划中，并获得了哮喘教育材料。报告哮喘控制不佳和环境诱发因素的参与者还可获得 3 次由呼吸治疗师提供的 VHV。所有参与者都被要求完成干预前和干预后的知识测试、哮喘控制测试（ACT）（最高分=25；得分≤19 表示哮喘控制不佳），以及评估对哮喘管理和减少环境诱发因素的看法的最终调查：截至 2022 年 10 月，共有 147 名参与者参加了该计划，其中 52 人同意并接受了≥1 次 VHV 治疗。其中 40 人（77%）为结论年龄：该计划为哮喘高发社区提供了虚拟哮喘教育，改善了参与者的哮喘治疗效果。类似的虚拟模式可用于促进健康公平，尤其是在医疗服务有限的地区。

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来源期刊

Public Health Reports 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生

CiteScore

5.00

自引率

6.10%

发文量

164

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Public Health Reports is the official journal of the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General and the U.S. Public Health Service and has been published since 1878. It is published bimonthly, plus supplement issues, through an official agreement with the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. The journal is peer-reviewed and publishes original research and commentaries in the areas of public health practice and methodology, original research, public health law, and public health schools and teaching. Issues contain regular commentaries by the U.S. Surgeon General and executives of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health. The journal focuses upon such topics as tobacco control, teenage violence, occupational disease and injury, immunization, drug policy, lead screening, health disparities, and many other key and emerging public health issues. In addition to the six regular issues, PHR produces supplemental issues approximately 2-5 times per year which focus on specific topics that are of particular interest to our readership. The journal''s contributors are on the front line of public health and they present their work in a readable and accessible format.