Asthma is a significant burden to the quality of life of Ohioans with asthma and Ohio's health care system. In Ohio, (2022 data: 1,481,909 adults & 234,103 children ever told they have asthma) that they have been told at some time in their life that they have asthma. Although asthma can affect anyone, those most affected in Ohio are children under five years of age, low-income residents, African Americans, Latinos, and urban residents. These populations experience significantly higher asthma prevalence, mortality, hospital admission rates, and emergency department (ED) visit rates due to asthma. ,3,4
The Ohio Department of Health Asthma Program (ODHAP) will concentrate its proposed strategies within high-priority counties showing elevated rates of child emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations, or high asthma prevalence rates across all age groups. Through this opportunity, ODHAP aims to enhance disease management for Ohioans with asthma, improving their quality of life and reducing asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations. To achieve these objectives, ODHAP will leverage its established infrastructure and focus on strengthening and expanding the implementation of EXHALE strategies statewide, with particular emphasis on twelve high-priority counties: Ashtabula, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Erie, Franklin, Hamilton, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, Montgomery, and Summit County.
ODHAP's primary objectives include expanding EXHALE strategies across Ohio. Including asthma self-management education (AS-ME) services or referrals to such services. This involves fostering targeted partnerships to reach Minority Communities, particularly in high-priority counties, and bolstering team-based care. Efforts will focus on enhancing professional capabilities to deliver comprehensive services and increasing organizational connections. ODHAP will develop and implement a Strategic Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan, along with a Data Dissemination Plan, to ensure effective data collection, analysis, and sharing with stakeholders. The program routinely conducts the Asthma Practices Survey to track changes in data use and evaluates activities to enhance program effectiveness. Recognizing the need for seamless service alignment across sectors, ODHAP will collaborate with the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) and Children's Hospitals to establish local Data Dashboards and develop resources with the Healthcare Payer Workgroup to aid providers and asthma patients in accessing care and coverage. ODHAP will utilize the Asthma Advisory Council to provide statewide guidance on the Ohio Asthma Strategic Plan. ODHAP will collaborate with local partners to address environmental policies and implement best practices aimed at reducing asthma triggers from indoor, outdoor, and occupational sources. These collaborative efforts across the state will drive sustainable change.
Additionally, ODHAP will expand team-based care through clinical and community service linkages for comprehensive home- and school-based care. With a robust history of asthma-related initiatives in Ohio, ODHAP remains committed to Governor DeWine's advocacy and Ohio's State Health Improvement Plan goals of reducing the state's asthma burden.
