Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Asthma Management for Teens

Health care professionals at Henry Ford Health System know how to connect with teenagers. About 10 years ago, the Detroit-based health care system developed Puff City, an interactive, web-based education program to help African-American teens better manage their asthma. Outcomes have been so promising that the intervention program is now being replicated in rural Georgia. Puff City targets three key areas of asthma management: smoking cessation, controller medication adherence, and rescue inhaler availability. Blacks have a higher rate of asthma than whites, and this program also targets those teens. Youth participants log onto a computer for a baseline session and later complete four more sessions. Each ?visit? is tailored to the teen, based on previous responses, and guided by the fictional but hip DJ Puff Man. Results of Puff City?s first iteration, evaluated using a school-based randomized trial in Detroit, include 50% fewer ED visits, 50% fewer hospitalizations and 60% fewer school days missed. Christine Joseph, Ph.D., senior epidemiologist, sees the program?s potential for managing other chronic health conditions like diabetes or HIV. Henry Ford Health System is a 2012 winner of the AHA NOVA Award for this program. For more information, contact Dr. Joseph at cjoseph1@hfhs.org.