Background: Implementing a statewide public health asthma surveillance system is a primary goal of the Oregon Asthma Program (OAP). The Department of Human Services, Oregon Health Division (OHD) received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to initiate the OAP. Methods: Developing our asthma surveillance system began with a systematic assessment of the data sources available within the OHD. Our objectives were to evaluate existing data sources, analyze and disseminate information about asthma morbidity and mortality to stakeholders, and identify gaps in surveillance data. Results: Data were immediately available for estimating current asthma prevalence among adults in the general and Medicaid populations from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys, annual hospital discharge rates from the Oregon Hospital Discharge Index, and annual asthma mortality rates using state vital statistics records and the CDC Wonder database. Data were lacking to estimate asthma prevalence among children, racial and ethnic groups, and rural county populations. Moreover, few data were available to characterize patterns of health care utilization and receipt of services among asthma patients. To address gaps in surveillance data, the OAP initiated several new activities, including augmenting BRFSS sample sizes among racial and ethnic groups and in rural counties, working with schools to obtain asthma information reported at pupil enrollment, and convening an Asthma Data Work Group with representatives from stakeholder organizations. Conclusions: New data generated from these efforts combined with existing information will ensure that our asthma surveillance system can meet program planning needs of the OAP.
Learning Objectives: To describe the implementation of a statewide public health asthma surveillance system.
Keywords: Asthma, Surveillance
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.