Evaluation of an Asthma Disease Management Program in a Medicaid Population

In 2002, an asthma disease management program was initiated in Washington State in the US. The program was designed for clients of the state's Medicaid program, which provides health coverage for qualified low-income state residents. In response to the escalating cost of healthcare and because of concerns about the quality of care, the Washington State Legislature mandated implementation of this disease management program as a pilot project to assist individuals to improve their health. Medicaid administrators used a carefully designed process to identify client needs and to obtain proposals for disease management programs. The asthma program seeks to narrow the gap between the standards of care and its practice. In particular, the program aims to provide patients with a richer understanding of asthma and how to control it. This is accomplished through disease education, symptom awareness and management, trigger avoidance, self-monitoring, and education on recommended medication strategies. The program is based on the US National Institutes of Health's published guidelines on the optimal treatment of asthma. Enrollment of Medicaid clients into the asthma program began in April 2002. This article describes three approaches to evaluation of the first 3 years of the program: (i) 3 years of self-reported client data; (ii) an independent evaluation of the first year's changes in utilization and quality of care; and (iii) an actuarial analysis of cost effectiveness. The first study used vendor-reported data collected during initial and follow-up assessments. The authors of this first study also reported the results of a satisfaction survey conducted on behalf of the vendor. The independent evaluation conducted by the University of Washington relied on medical record review and claims analysis, and reported statistical analysis of pre/post comparisons. The actuarial study also reported pre/post comparisons using an analysis of claims per member per month in periods before the program started and at 1 and 2 years of program operations. Clients were assessed according to several dimensions of health including self-management, symptoms, functional status, medication management, and trigger management. Numerous interventions were provided to study participants including access to round-the-clock telephone consultation with a registered nurse, self-care education, alerts sent to the primary provider, and symptom issue follow-up. The asthma disease management program outcomes provide evidence of initial success for those clients who completed the reassessment process. The results of the first 3 years of participation in the program indicate trends toward improved health status and client satisfaction with the program. Long-term evaluation will be necessary to determine if the program reduces costs and closes the quality chasm. If successful, this program could serve as a model for programs with similar clients and similar challenges.