Comprehensive asthma management for underserved children

Abstract

In response to the 'asthma epidemic', local organisations in San Francisco formed the Yes We Can Urban Asthma Partnership, which uses a comprehensive medical/social model for paediatric asthma care. The Yes We Can Urban Asthma Partnership reaches out to high-risk children in different clinical settings: urgent visits, the hospital, a comprehensive specialty asthma clinic, and through an expanded community health worker programme. This article highlights the initial development, implementation, and evaluation of the success of this innovative management programme to address the problem of paediatric asthma in underserved urban areas.