Facing Chicago’s Asthma Epidemic

Chicago has some of the highest asthma rates in the nation, with particularly high rates of disease in predominantly minority neighborhoods. Led by faculty member Tom MacTavish, an ID team conducted field research, ID’s Kim Erwin conducted further research, and then, the project culminated in the design of a paper-based communication tool called CAPE — CHICAGO Action Plan after ED discharge — to help healthcare staff and caregivers more effectively record, track, and preserve information at the time of a child’s discharge from a hospital emergency department. A description of the tool, its underlying theory, and application were published in the Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research. Erwin is now associate professor of practice at ID and director of the Equitable Healthcare Action Lab. An expert in healthcare design, she applies design methods to complex systems and develops novel solutions to address healthcare’s frontline problems.