Using IT to Improve Access, Communication and Asthma in African American and Hispanic/Latino Adults

Background: Asthma morbidity is high in inner-city minority adults, despite the existence of
efficacious therapy. Tailored, patient-centered interventions are needed to improve access
to care and patient-provider communication. Access and communication increasingly rely on
information technology (IT) as new incentives arise to use the Electronic Health Record
(EHR). The EHR patient portal (PP) gives patients web-based communication with providers and
practices. How the poor and those with limited educational opportunities can take advantage
of these is unclear. In contrast, the investigators have found that home visits (HVs) by
community health workers (CHWs) can improve access to care for children and promote
caretaker-clinician communication. The investigators also found many inner-city adults have
internet access and are willing to learn to use the PP.

Objective: to examine the benefits for adults of using the PP with and without HVs by CHWs
who will encourage/facilitate PP use, understand patients' social context, and enhance
communication with the medical team. The investigator hypothesize all patients will benefit
from PPs, and that the addition of HVs will be particularly helpful for those with low
literacy or language barriers. Specific Aims test if the 1-year interventions result in 1)
better within-group asthma outcomes, 2) better outcomes in one group over the other, 3) more
communication (use of PP) and access (appointments made and kept) which mediate the
interventions' effects on asthma outcomes, and 4) effect modification by literacy level,
primary language, and convenience of internet access.

Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 300 adults, predominantly African American and
Hispanic/Latino, with uncontrolled asthma recruited from low income urban neighborhoods will
be assured internet access and taught to use the PP, with and without HVs from a CHW. CHWs
will 1) train patients to competency in PP use, 2) enhance care coordination, 3) transmit a
view of the complex social circumstances of patients' lives to providers, and 4) make up for
differences in patients' health literacy skills.

Patient Outcomes are asthma control, asthma-related quality of life, emergency department
(ED) visits, and hospitalizations for asthma or any cause. Together asthma and other health
conditions affect patients' ability to perform their daily tasks and care for their
families. Potential benefits of the intervention are enhanced patient-clinician
communication, access to care, improved health, and ability to use IT.