The primary purpose of this pragmatic randomized clinical trial is to examine whether the addition of a phone-based multicomponent environmental intervention customized for Houston public housing residents with asthma will result in statistically significant improvements in key measures of health, quality of life, and resilience.
This is a pragmatic randomized clinical trial that examines the effectiveness of a clinically informed phone-based environmental intervention for improving asthma control in individuals living in selected Houston Housing Authority public housing communities. This study was initially designed as an in-home intervention but changed to a phone-based intervention, with drop-offs of supplies and other materials, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Both the control and intervention groups complete a comprehensive set of questionnaires by phone (or online or on paper), and wear a passive wristband collection device for seven days that measures exposure to 1,530 chemicals. Each enrollee is randomly assigned into one of the two groups after the baseline questionnaires are completed. The intervention ("exposure-reduction") group receives a telehealth visit, a customized Multicomponent Asthma Action Plan, multiple phone-based intervention visits and customized exposure-reduction supplies and materials, delivered to their porch, to implement the plan and support behavior change. The exposure-reduction group is encouraged to provide a blood sample to a local Harris Health laboratory for analysis of allergic and eosinophilic status. The control ("phone-call-only") group receives phone follow-up calls. Six months after the baseline assessment, both groups are reassessed at the exit visit. The phone-call-only group receives the exposure-reduction intervention after the exit visit.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
28
The customized exposure-reduction intervention includes a phone-based telehealth visit, collection of self-report information from detailed health and exposure questionnaires, asthma education, assessment for allergies (optional), and a customized asthma self-management and exposure-reduction plan developed using motivational interviewing techniques, support, and exposure-reduction supplies.
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States
Change in Asthma Control Test (ACT) Score
The ACT is a validated 5-question scale assessing asthma control over the previous four weeks. Each question has five possible responses, from 1 (worst) to 5 (best). The total score ranges from 5 (worst control) to 25 (best control). In general, a total score of 19 or less suggests poor asthma control.
Time frame: Measured at baseline and 6 months later
Change in Juniper Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniAQLQ) Score
A validated 15-item questionnaire, with each question having seven possible answers score from 1 (worst) to 7 (best). Minimum total score is 15 (worst asthma quality of life). Maximum total score is 105 (best asthma quality of life). By design, an individual's score is reported as the mean (total score/15). Thus the possible mean reported score ranges from 1 (worst asthma quality of life) to 7 (best asthma quality of life).
Time frame: Measured at baseline and 6 months later
Change in Emergency Department (ED) Visits
The healthcare utilization questions were from the validated CDC-BRFSS Asthma Survey. For this outcome measure, patient responses to a question that asked "During the past 6 months, how many times to you visit an emergency room of urgent care center because of your asthma?" were used.
Time frame: Collected at baseline and 6 months later (for the preceding 6 months)
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