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Asthma is one of the nation's most common and costly chronic conditions, affecting over 38 million Americans at some time in their lives. Managing asthma requires a long term, multifaceted approach, including patient education, behavior changes, asthma trigger avoidance, pharmacological therapy, and frequent medical follow-up. This study provides asthma data available at the state and local level to direct and evaluate interventions undertaken by asthma control programs located in the state health departments. Improved tracking for asthma is critical for planning and evaluating efforts to reduce the health burden from the disease.

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a state-based system of health surveys that collects information on health risk behaviors, preventive health practices, and health care access primarily related to chronic disease and injury. For many states, the BRFSS is the only available source of timely, accurate data on health-related behaviors. BRFSS was established in 1984 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); currently data are collected monthly in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and Guam. More than 350,000 adults are interviewed each year, making the BRFSS the largest telephone health survey in the world. States use BRFSS data to identify emerging health problems, establish and track health objectives, and develop and evaluate public health policies and programs. The BRFSS is a cross-sectional telephone survey conducted by state health departments with technical and methodological assistance provided by CDC. States conduct monthly telephone surveillance using a standardized questionnaire to determine the distribution of risk behaviors and health practices among adults. Responses are forwarded to CDC, where the monthly data are aggregated for each state, returned with standard tabulations, and published at the year's end by each state. The BRFSS questionnaire was developed jointly by CDC's Behavioral Surveillance Branch (BSB) and the states. Data derived from the questionnaire provide health departments, public health officials, and policymakers with necessary behavioral information. When combined with mortality and morbidity statistics, these data enable public health officials to establish policies and priorities and to initiate and assess health promotion strategies. Demographic variables include race, age, sex, education level, marital status, employment status, and income level.

This randomized controlled trial evaluated a culturally appropriate intervention to improve the recognition and treatment of depression among Asian and Latino American primary care patients at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), using a culturally focused psychiatric (CFP) consultation with a team of mental health providers who were bilingual/bicultural, trained in culturally competent techniques, and familiar with the cultures and languages of the patients served. Targeted minority patients who screened positive for clinical depression were eligible to participate in the trial. The intervention patients were offered the CFP consultation at baseline and, if eligible, received the CFP patient toolkit as part of their treatment. The toolkit provided psychoeducation and tools for managing depression as well as information on community resources. The usual care patients were offered standard referrals to MGH mental health resources.

Questionnaires were administered to the patients at screening, baseline, two-week follow-up, and six month follow-up. The screening questionnaires included the two-item Public Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and demographic questions. Assessment measures administered to the intervention patients at baseline included the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Rated Scale (QIDS-SR 16), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Schwartz Outcome Scale (SOS-10), and a demographic questionnaire and resource utilization questionnaire. At six month follow-up, the intervention arm was administered a resource utilization questionnaire, patient satisfaction questionnaire (Treatment Satisfaction Scale), qualitative interview, and the QIDS-SR 16 and SOS-10. The SOS-10 was also administered to the intervention patients at two-week follow-up. In the usual care arm, the QIDS-SR 16 and resource utilization questionnaire was administered at baseline and six months, the qualitative interview at six months, and the demographic questionnaire at baseline or six-months. There was no two-week assessment for the usual care patients. Electronic medical record review was used for both arms at baseline and six months, as needed. In addition, qualitative interviews were conducted with project and practice staff at the end of the study.

The data file includes the responses to the questionnaires and variables describing the CFP consultation assessment (DSM-IV Axis I, II, III, IV, and V diagnoses), treatment recommendations made to the patients' primary care physicians (PCPs) after the CFP consultation, and study staff contacts with the patients' PCPs and mental health providers. ICPSR did not receive the data from the qualitative interviews or electronic medical record reviews.