Cross-Disciplinary Consultancy to Enhance Predictions of Asthma Exacerbation Risk in Boston

Area of Science:

• Public Health Surveillance
• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The International Society for Disease Surveillance aims to improve population health monitoring.
• Previous work established consultancies to bridge public health practice and research expertise.
• This initiative focuses on enhancing near-term analytical capabilities for public health practitioners.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve predictions of asthma exacerbation risk in Boston, Massachusetts.
• To integrate known risk factors into predictive models for asthma exacerbations.
• To foster collaboration between public health practitioners and researchers.

Main Methods:

• A cross-disciplinary consultancy involving 28 stakeholders was convened.
• Discussions focused on improving asthma exacerbation risk predictions using routinely available data.
• Meteorological data, virus transmission, and air quality were identified as key risk factors.

Main Results:

• Multiple analytic approaches were presented, including mechanistic models, machine learning, and simulations.
• Stakeholders discussed surveillance operations, constraints, and system requirements.
• An 8-year de-identified dataset of Boston Emergency Department patient records was designed for modeling.

Conclusions:

• Direct exchange among practitioners, designers, and modelers was highly valued.
• The consultancy facilitated the design of a valuable dataset for asthma research.
• This collaborative approach enhances capabilities for day-to-day population health monitoring.