 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Frances D. Butterfoss, PhD, Health Promotion/Disease Prevention, Center for Pediatric Research, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 855 W. Brambleton Ave, Norfolk, VA 23510, 757-668-6329, fbutterf@chkd.com, James M Krieger, MD MPH, Public Health-Seattle & King County and University of Washington Schools of Public health and Medicine, 999 Third Ave., Suite 1200, Seattle, WA 98104, and Michael P. Rosenthal, MD, Department of Family Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, 1015 Walnut Street, Suite 401, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
Background: Effective control of asthma requires a multi-faceted approach, integrating the expertise of a broad spectrum of stakeholders including health care providers, community based organizations, schools, and families. Often these groups do not come together in joint decision-making where participants feel they have influence and are satisfied with how decisions are made. The 7 Allies Against Asthma coalitions have engaged diverse stakeholders to improve the health of children with asthma.
Methods: The Coalition Self-Assessment Survey was administered to coalition members in 7 sites in summer 2002 to assess coalition effectiveness 18 months after initiation of planning and implementation grants. Respondents were queried about perceptions of who had influence; participants' sense of their own personal influence on decisions; how comfortable they were with the decision-making process; how decisions are made; and opinions on fairness, timeliness, and consistency of the decision-making process. Additionally, coalition members were queried about overall satisfaction, sense of loyalty and whether they had a voice in coalition decisions. Responses were analyzed across sites and by stakeholder groups.
Results: Preliminary findings (n=294) showed that respondents agree (65.3%) that most decisions about priorities, policies, and actions were made by consensus. The majority (59.9%) reported feeling very comfortable with the decision-making process. Respondents agreed that they followed standard procedures (73.2%), used a fair (83.0%) and timely process (78.9%), and made good decisions (86.8%). Respondents (82.1%) reported having at least some influence in coalition decision-making. Preliminary findings are consistent across stakeholder groups.
Conclusions: Community coalitions create unique environments that support diverse stakeholders in effective decision-making.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Community Planning, Asthma
Related Web page: www.asthma.umich.edu
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.