A randomized controlled trial in 350 low-income adults with asthma (mean age 45, 88% female, 83% Black) tested whether patient navigators — via Home Visits to identify social needs and/or Clinician Feedback with guideline-based summaries — improved asthma outcomes over 12 months compared to a clinic-only intervention.
Participants receiving both a Navigator Home Visit and clinic intervention showed improved asthma control vs. clinic-only (score change −0.47; 95% CI −0.84 to −0.10); those receiving Clinician Feedback plus clinic intervention had a larger decrease in non-asthma hospitalizations/ED visits (−1.05; 95% CI −1.90 to −0.19).
The study was conducted solely in low-income communities with a predominantly Black female population, limiting generalizability to other demographic groups. The first 3 months were observational rather than randomized, which may introduce bias in the baseline period.
For low-income adults with asthma, adding a trained patient navigator — to assess home social needs and prepare concise guideline-based summaries for clinicians — can meaningfully improve asthma control and reduce unplanned healthcare use. Clinicians serving underserved populations should consider integrating navigator programs into asthma care workflows.
