CASE STUDY

Iowa

The Iowa state team initiated three clinical pilot projects that increased blood lead level testing of young children and conducted data analyses to understand provider testing rates and trends.

Aim

  • To increase blood lead level (BLL) testing of children 1 through 3 years in age, especially among 2-year-olds, working with primary care providers.

Results

Interventions

  • Initiated three clinical pilot projects with Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs) to increase BLLs testing of 12 month-olds through 35-month-olds.
  • Demonstrated increased testing as a result of the pilot projects: one clinic demonstrated a 60 percent increase, and others showed approximately 20 percent increase.

Data Resources

  • Used surveys, data, and Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to understand provider testing rates, trends, and reasons for not testing.
  • Created maps of the percentage of children tested by age 0 through 6, by county and year, during 2016–2018.

Guidelines and Recommendations

  • Through the Maternal and Child Environmental Health Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network (MCEH CoIIN) work, Iowa’s team highlighted the need for increased testing.
  • A new Title V State Performance Measure was created for the 2021–2026 needs assessment, which is “the percent of children ages 1 through 2 years who receive a blood lead level test in the past year.”
  • Through contractors, Title V, and the Epidemiology (EPI) Update Listserv, Title V included the Iowa Department of Public Health testing guidelines for 12-month-olds through 35-month-olds in the FY2021 Request for Applications.

Education, Training, and Outreach

  • Worked with family partners on education and outreach and ensured family membership on advisory committees.
  • MCEH CoIIN partners collaborated with the University of Iowa to conduct four regional trainings on new educational materials for physicians, nurses, and Title V programs.
  • Encouraged providers to review charts for lead testing.
  • Presented MCEH CoIIN and pilot project work with FQHCs at the Iowa Governor’s Conference on Public Health.

Resources

Click here to view the full change package of strategies and actions that Iowa used as they worked to achieve their aims as part of the MCEH CoIIN.

Contact

Contact the Iowa Team:

https://idph.iowa.gov/Environmental-Health-Services/Childhood-Lead-Poisoning-Prevention

For information about Iowa’s Childhood Blood Lead Testing Program, contact Kevin Officer at kevin.officer@idph.iowa.gov.

For information about Iowa’s Title V program, contact Analisa Pearson at analisa.pearson@idph.iowa.gov

CASE STUDIES

Learn from our partners

Our CoIIN members have developed statewide actions and initiatives for lead poisoning prevention and mitigation. Included in these case studies are resources & summaries from the CoIIN state teams and partners.

Browse all case studies

Pennsylvania

By creating a pilot program, the Pennsylvania state team facilitated partnerships between Head Start centers and Federally Qualified Health Centers to increase onsite lead testing.

New Jersey

By implementing a tier system that recognizes pediatricians’ lead testing rates and conducting outreach, the New Jersey team increased testing to reflect the state’s universal screening rule.

Michigan

By working with local grantees, the Michigan state team developed trainings and toolkits to increase awareness and screening of blood lead testing for pregnant and nursing women.

Illinois

Using interactive provider trainings and informational materials, the Illinois state team increased blood lead level testing and identification in young children and pregnant women.

Iowa

The Iowa state team initiated three clinical pilot projects that increased blood lead level testing of young children and conducted data analyses to understand provider testing rates and trends.

Missouri

Through community-focused campaigns and provider report cards, the Missouri state team increased blood lead level testing of young children.

Alabama

Through a creative media campaign, the Alabama state team educated Alabamans about lead poisoning prevention and testing and increased care coordination.

Mississippi

The Mississippi state team partnered with Medicaid to assess trends in blood lead level testing and reporting and provided lead poisoning prevention education in high-need areas.

Louisiana

Through partnerships with local Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) clinics, the Louisiana state team educated parents and clinical providers about lead poisoning prevention and increased lead testing.