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Asthma Health Outcomes Project
EPA-Funded Study Finds Key Elements of Successful Asthma Programs
Asthma Health Outcomes Project (AHOP)
Read the report and learn more about the Asthma Health Outcomes Project
at www.alliesagainst
asthma.net/AHOP 
Read the EPA Press Release
EPA and the University of Michigan have released the results of an international study of over 400 asthma programs in one of the most wide-reaching assessments to date. The study, conducted by the University of Michigan School of Public Health (UMSPH) with funding from EPA, found that asthma programs that address environmental triggers work best to improve health outcomes such as reduced emergency room visits, improved quality of life, and fewer missed days of school or work when they build strong connections with front-line health care providers and local communities.
The Asthma Health Outcomes Project study was conducted by UMSPH
over three years through a $700,000 grant from EPA. For more
information about the Asthma Health Outcomes
Project and to read the report, visit
www.alliesagainstasthma.net/AHOP
In order to identify common themes and features across programs, the study, called the Asthma Health Outcomes Project (AHOP), investigated programs – all of which contain an environmental management component -- that reported having a positive impact on people with asthma throughout the U.S. and other countries. Through a unique nomination and review process, over 400 programs were identified as reporting asthma-related health outcomes, such as reduced emergency room visits, improved quality of life, and fewer missed days of school or work. The programs used a variety of approaches, such as educating health care providers or intensive home visits with follow-up support to families, to address the environmental factors that exacerbate asthma symptoms.
An in-depth examination of 111 programs revealed some key themes. The study found that programs with an environmental component that work with health care providers and that have close ties to individuals and local communities are more likely to report positive health outcomes. Furthermore, the study included a wide range of asthma programs, and the researchers were surprised by the very large number of programs with environmental components – over 400 -- that were tracking health outcomes.
To accelerate the transfer of these findings to community-based asthma initiatives, EPA hosts
an annual National Asthma Forum in Washington DC.
Successful programs serve as faculty for other community programs
and facilitated workshops provide tools and resources
to help participating communities achieve better health outcomes for the individuals they serve.
Read more about the National Asthma Forum visit
www.epaasthmaforum.com
Asthma persists as the most common serious chronic disease in children. The EPA Asthma Initiative includes research, education and outreach to identify the environmental factors that cause asthma and asthma symptoms. The initiative also promotes effective measures to reduce exposure to these factors.