HW Consulting and the California Asthma Public Health Initiative (CAPHI) Collaborate to Bring Specific IgE Allergy Testing to Pediatric Primary Care Providers
Posted on: Wednesday, 18 October 2006, 15:01 CDT
DAVIS, Calif., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- HW Consulting has collaborated with the California Asthma Public Health Initiative (CAPHI) in the California Department of Health Services to formally introduce allergen specific IgE testing to primary care as a component of its "Best Practices in Childhood Asthma" (BPCA) program.
On June 27, 2006, pediatric primary care providers from all over California gathered in San Diego to participate in CAPHI's BPCA meeting, to discuss the concepts, issues, skills, and tools available for improving the management of childhood asthma. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) asthma guidelines recommend either skin (in vivo) or in vitro allergen testing for all individuals with persistent asthma, but allergen testing is often not performed on children with persistent asthma. By identifying individual sensitivity to allergens, avoidance of these triggers can be incorporated into an effective management plan to reduce asthma symptoms.
Acceptance of in vitro testing for routine use in primary care has been slow in the US due to concerns over cost and efficiency in the utilization of the technology.
Following the successful introduction of allergen testing to many of the participating BPCA clinics, L.A. Care -- the nation's largest public health plan -- worked with HWC and members of the Los Angeles Asthma coalition to incorporate in vitro specific IgE testing in their "physician tool kit" for pediatric asthma.
HW Consulting is working with public and private healthcare organizations to evaluate the cost effectiveness and clinical efficiency of medical technologies, to ensure their appropriate utilization. Anna Wetherbee, Manager of Government and Managed Care, describes her company's mission this way: "Our focus is to identify inefficiency in healthcare delivery, while at the same time validating new ways to improve it through the use of technology."
HW Consulting, headquartered in Davis, CA, specializes in health economics, cost containment strategies, and quality of care improvement in healthcare.
HW Consulting
CONTACT: HW Consulting Main Office, +1-530-758-2087
Source: PRNewswire
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