First-Of-Its-Kind Trial Shows Promise of Coordinating Child Asthma Care Across a City

For children growing up in Philadelphia and similar urban areas across the U.S., asthma is more than a common chronic illness—it is a life-threatening challenge. Decades of research have established stark racial disparities in chronic asthma, with Black children experiencing hospitalization rates three times higher and death rates seven times higher than their white counterparts. These disparities are worsened by poor air quality, aging buildings, and limited access to coordinated asthma care, particularly in under-resourced communities.

Recognizing these urgent challenges, Senior Fellows Tyra Bryant-Stephens, Chén Kenyon, and colleagues led a first-of-its-kind randomized clinical trial to test a community-wide intervention to improve asthma control for low-income school-aged children. Their study, conducted over four years across 36 public and charter schools in West Philadelphia, examined whether community health workers (CHWs) could help bridge the gap between doctors’ offices, homes, and schools—three critical settings where asthma management often remains disconnected.