ABSTRACT Context: Asthma Home Visiting (HV) programs offer community-based education and environmental interventions to improve asthma control and reduce health care use. Objective: To evaluate the health, quality of life (QoL), and cost outcomes of a multi-site asthma HV program implemented across Illinois from 2020 to 2023. Design: Cross-sectional program evaluation using pre- and post- intervention comparisons of health outcomes and health care utilization data. Setting: Four Illinois-based HV programs supported by the Illinois Department of Public Health and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Participants: A total of 209 participants (58. 4% children) with physician-diagnosed asthma who received HV services between 2020 and 2023. Main Outcome Measure (s): Changes in emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, QoL indicators (Asthma Control Rating, ACT scores, and missed school/workdays), and program cost–benefit ratio. Results: ED visits declined from 17. 8% to 6% (P <. 05), and hospitalizations from 7. 6% to 0% (P <. 05). QoL indicators improved significantly, with ACT well-controlled scores increasing from 24. 8% to 45. 4%. Estimated annual savings totaled 1. 4 million, exceeding program costs of 1. 04 million (benefit–cost ratio = 1. 34). Conclusions: The Illinois asthma HV program improved health outcomes and reduced health care utilization, supporting its inclusion in comprehensive asthma care strategies.
Patel et al. (Fri,) studied this question.