The Inner-City Asthma Intervention: description of a community-based implementation of an evidence-based approach to asthma management.
BACKGROUND
In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded a 4-year project to implement the Inner-City Asthma Intervention (ICAI)-an asthma treatment and management project based on the protocol developed for the National Cooperative Inner-City Asthma Study (NCICAS) funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the ICAI's major components and implementation issues.


METHODS
Information contained in this article is based on project activity and management reports, site client tracking and data collection reports, site visit and other program oversight activity, and general subject matter knowledge. The site client tracking data collection process varied among sites during the intervention. Common definitions and processes were developed and implemented as needed.


RESULTS
Three of the 24 original sites discontinued participation. The remaining sites enrolled 4,174 children into the intervention. Although the project ended earlier than originally scheduled, 1,035 children completed the entire intervention. Of the 3,139 children who did not complete the entire protocol, 1,355 children and their families completed the core activities or the core activities plus one or more follow-up activities.


CONCLUSIONS
The ICAI project demonstrated that although there were a number of implementation issues to overcome, it is possible to implement effectively a proven National Institutes of Health protocol in the community setting.
Spiegel
John
J
Alliance of Community Health Plans Foundation, Washington, DC 20036, USA. jspiegel@achp.org
Love
Adrienne Segoris
AS
Wood
Pamela R
PR
Griffith
Marcia
M
Taylor
Kimberly R
KR
Williams
Seymour G
SG
Redd
Stephen C
SC
D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D019090:Case Management; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002648:Child; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003376:Counseling; D003625:Data Collection; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005195:Family Relations; D006078:Government Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012106:Research; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D014504:Urban Health