Asthma Hospital Discharges among Children
Summary Indicator Report Data View Options
Asthma Hospital Discharges by County, Children Aged 0-17, New Mexico, 2017-2021
Why Is This Important?
Asthma is one of the common chronic diseases in New Mexico, with an estimated 30,000 children currently having the disease. People with asthma are more likely to miss school or work, report feelings of depression, and experience an overall reduced quality of life. Asthma is also costly, with expenses from routine checkups, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and medications putting a significant burden on families, the health care sector, and the economy. Though it cannot be cured, asthma can be controlled through quality health care, appropriate medications, and good self-management skills. When asthma is controlled, people with the disease have few, if any, symptoms, and can live normal and productive lives.
Definition
Number of inpatient hospital visits by children (age 17 or younger) for asthma per 10,000 population.
Data Sources
- New Mexico Population Estimates: University of New Mexico, Geospatial and Population Studies (GPS) Program.
(http://gps.unm.edu/) - Hospital Inpatient Discharge Data, New Mexico Department of Health.
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | Number of child hospital discharges where asthma is the primary (first-listed) diagnosis. |
| Denominator: | Estimated total number of New Mexico residents in a specified population over a specified time period. |
How Are We Doing?
New Mexico children asthma-related hospitalization rates have been declining since 2014. In the past 5 years they have decreased by 40%, with the most dramatic decrease in ED visits from 2019-2020. This is likely due to changes in environment and behavior caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, trends from data collected in 2020 should be interpreted with caution.
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
Recent National data are not available for comparison.
What Is Being Done?
The New Mexico Department of Health Asthma Control Program collects, analyzes, and disseminates asthma data in order to identify populations that have a high burden of asthma. The Asthma Control Program also works with partners throughout the state (such as hospitals, physician groups, insurance plans, and schools) to design and implement health interventions to lessen the disease burden. Current interventions include providing asthma self-management education to pediatric patients, supporting indoor air quality assessments of homes to limit exposures to potential asthma triggers, and offering provider training on the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) asthma medical guidelines.
Evidence-based Practices
Asthma and its symptoms can be controlled and related impairments or hospitalizations can be prevented. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the NAEPP of the National Institutes of Health-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute have issued guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. These guidelines translated advances in scientific and clinical research into practical advice for people with asthma, for the health care providers who look after them, and for the communities where they live.
Other Objectives
New Mexico Community Health Status Indicator (CHSI)
Available Services
The New Mexico Asthma Control Program, funded entirely through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control, supports health intervention activities aimed at increasing asthma awareness in the state, improving asthma self-management through patient education initiatives, and providing health care provider training on the latest National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Asthma Guidelines for medical practice. For more information about the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program's (NAEPP) Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma visit https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-pro/guidelines/current/asthma-guidelines New Mexico Asthma Control Program Information For information about the Asthma Control Program in New Mexico visit https://nmhealth.org/about/erd/eheb/ap/ Asthma Control Program, New Mexico Department of Health, P.O. Box 26110, 1190 St. Francis Drive, Suite N1300, Santa Fe, NM 87505.
More Resources
New Mexico Asthma Control Program. https://nmhealth.org/about/erd/eheb/ap/ State Asthma Strategic Plan. https://www.nmhealth.org/publication/view/plan/6655/ NM Council on Asthma. https://www.nmasthma.org/ Breathing Easier. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/pdfs/breathing_easier_brochure.pdf CDC Asthma. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/faqs.htm New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking https://nmtracking.org/health/breathing/Asthma.html
Health Program Information
Asthma Control Program, New Mexico Department of Health, P.O. Box 26110, 1190 St. Francis Drive, Suite N1300, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Srikanth Paladugu, MBBS, MPH, MBA, Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau Chief, (505) 476-3549 (M,W,F); (505) 841-5893 (T,Th), Paladugu, Srikanth, DOH <Srikanth.Paladugu@state.nm.us>.