Effectiveness of a respiratory therapist-led, community-based asthma program in an under resourced rural border town...

Asthma affects over 300 million people globally, with a higher prevalence in Imperial County, California, due to environmental and social factors. The Asthma Community Linkages Project (ACLP) seeks to reduce emergency visits and enhance asthma self-management through respiratory therapist-led(RT-Led) initiatives. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using RT-led community-based program in Imperial Country, CA.

Conducted as a quality improvement study, the ACLP is a community-based initiative piloted in Imperial County's local hospitals and rural health clinics through the Asthma Management Program (AMP) and Asthma Wellness Program (AWP) from 2017 to 2020. Participants included 233 patients diagnosed with asthma, identified through ED visits. The program incorporated baseline clinical services, educational modules, and up to three home visits focused on asthma education and trigger mitigation. Data analysis employed paired t-tests and chi-squared tests to assess changes in Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores and ED visit frequency pre-and post-intervention.

The study observed significant improvements in asthma control, with ACT scores rising significantly from 15.5 ± 3.03 to 21.33 ± 1.64 (p < 0.001) within six months post-intervention. Notably, completing all three home visits was significantly associated with reduced ED visits at six and twelve months (p < 0.01; p = 0.046). Among the participants, 58.4 % received at least one home visit, underscoring the intervention's reach and impact.

The ACLP, a respiratory therapist-led asthma program in Imperial County, California, improved asthma management and reduced emergency department visits. Using an evidence-based practice model and the Plan-Do-Check-Act framework, it addressed environmental and social health determinants through an interdisciplinary approach. The results demonstrated better asthma control in underserved areas, offering valuable insights for similar initiatives in resource-limited settings.