City of Houston Asthma Emergency Department Dashboard
Frequently Asked Questions
1.What is the City of Houston (COH) Asthma Dashboard?
The COH asthma dashboard contains summary information for emergency department (ED) visits regarding asthma in 2021 and 2022 from hospitals in the Houston area. It also includes asthma resources available for use, and asthma indicators (such as high are of heat, or fixed site air pollution monitors).
2.Why are you monitoring for asthma ED visits?
As explained by the CDC, The emergency department (ED) is an important place for patients to seek immediate care for asthma exacerbations. It may also be the main place of care for some patients who do not have a medical home or a primary care provider.
Asthma surveillance can be used to focus efforts and resources where they are needed in the city.
More from the CDC here.
3. What area does the study cover?
The asthma ED visits were considered in ZIP codes that fall within the City of Houston Limits.
4.Where does the ED visit data come from?
Emergency Department (ED) visit data comes from the Houston Health Department’s in-house Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE). The ESSENCE system receives data from healthcare facilities in the Texas Health Service Region 6/5S who have registered to submit real-time health-related data. For more information about the HHD’s Syndromic Surveillance database, please visit here: https://www.houstonhealth.org/services/data-reporting/syndromic-surveillance.
5. How is an asthma ED visit defined?
An asthma emergency department (ED) visit is defined by a chief complaint from the patient containing the word asthma. This may include ED visits that had asthma as the chief complaint along with other issues.
6. How are the rates per 100,000 people calculated?
Asthma ED visits were counted by ZIP code (ZIP code the patient resides in) and then that number was divided by the population (estimated from the American Community Survey 5-year estimate 2020) and then multiplied by 100,000.
7. What are the asthma resources?
This dataset contains a list of organizations that provide resources to control asthma in the Houston area. The dataset includes contact information, areas serviced, and what services the originations offers.
The Asthma care resources and services featured as part of this dashboard have been provided through organizations’ responses to the Houston Asthma Control through Evidence-based Interventions’ (HACEIP) Asthma Resource Survey. If your organization would like to have your Asthma care resources and services featured on this dashboard, please complete the HACEIP’s Asthma Resource Survey located here: https://houstonhealth.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_29pBXE9STk0IGqO or email Latoya at:
The HHD does not sponsor, advocate for, or review any of the Asthma care resources or services provided by external organizations featured in this dataset. The dataset serves to only provide information about resources and services that are available for Asthma support in the Houston region.
Where does the high heat figure come from?
The high heat area was created using the results from the h3at.org study. More information can be found here.
Who worked on this dashboard?
A joint effort between the Houston Health Department, The Urban Data Platform at Rice University, and the CDC made the COH asthma dashboard possible.