Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Asthma, the most common chronic respiratory illness affecting low-income children in the United States, affects 25% of low-income children in Chicago. Yet these children typically have limited or no access to medication and ongoing care. The Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation is tackling the asthma problem in underserved Chicago neighborhoods by using mobile vans, called "Asthma Vans," to treat youth with asthma. The foundation bought and retrofitted two RVs with asthma-related medical equipment. Each van is staffed with a salaried physician or nurse practitioner who is an asthma specialist and can provide continuity of care. The Asthma Vans travel to different schools in the Chicago area that are heavily affected by the disease to screen students. Children exhibiting symptoms are then, along with their parents, invited to the Asthma Vans for a more thorough examination and diagnosis. All tests and medications available at a hospital can be found on an Asthma Van.

Goal / Mission

The Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation’s mission is to provide complimentary and comprehensive asthma care and education to children and families in Chicago’s underserved communities via mobile medical units called "Asthma Vans."

Impact

The Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation’s Asthma Vans provide children and families in Chicago’s underserved communities with complimentary and comprehensive asthma care and education resulting in reduced school absenteeism, decreased ER visits and lower hospitalization rates.

Results / Accomplishments

Through its mobile clinics, Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation has served more than 6,000 vulnerable students through over 33,000 patient visits. Of patients using the Asthma Van for the first time within the last year, 40% had missed 5+ days of school due to their illness. Only 4% of Asthma Van kids missed 5+ days of school within the last year. The program also decreases hospital usage, as 1-in-25 Mobile C.A.R.E. children report an ER visit or hospitalization since joining the Mobile C.A.R.E. program, versus 1-in-3 in the year prior to enrollment. The reduction in hospitalization rate alone has saved the local healthcare system an estimated $156 million over 13 years.

About this Promising Practice

Primary Contact
Mobile Care Chicago
321 N. Loomis
Chicago, IL 60607
773-254-4030
asthma@mobilecarefoundation.org
https://mobilecarechicago.org/
Topics
Health / Respiratory Diseases
Health / Children's Health
Date of publication
Mar 2007
Date of implementation
1998
For more details
http://mobilecarechicago.org/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17454325
Target Audience
Children

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  5. Boston Public Schools Snack and Beverage Policy
  6. California's Asthma Control Programs

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Related Content for: Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.