625 - Health-Related Social Needs Screening in Pediatric Outpatient Settings Affiliated with a Private, Nonprofit Children's Teaching Hospital in an Urban Community

Publication Number: 3606.625

Caroline G. Wilson, Dayton Children's Hospital, Dayton, OH, United States; Vaishnavi Labhishetty, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Beavercreek, OH, United States; Shrunjal Trivedi, Dayton Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States; Tess DeVos, Dayton Children's Hospital, Dayton, OH, United States; Cynthia Sieck, Dayton Children's Hospital, Dayton, OH, United States; Jennifer Hilgeman, Dayton Children's Hospital, Dayton, OH, United States

Background: Social determinants of health such as food, financial, and housing insecurity critically influence health outcomes. Studies have shown a cumulative, inverse relationship between the quantity of patient needs and pediatric health outcomes. Despite increased implementation of health-related social needs (HRSN) screening, challenges such as tailoring screening tools to unique patient populations, adapting established protocols to distinct clinical scenarios, and assessing the impact of these screenings persist.

Objective: We aim to examine outcomes and explore provider knowledge and attitudes of HRSN screening in pediatric outpatient clinics.

Design/Methods: We conducted a descriptive analysis of HRSN screening data from primary and specialty care pediatric clinics between 2021 and 2023. Screenings were primarily collected electronically except when requested on paper, required in a different language, or impeded by technical difficulties and were completed by guardians for new patient and well-child appointments. For the qualitative portion of our study, focus groups used a semi-structured guide to examine provider perspectives on patterns of social needs screening and referrals. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative analysis utilized an iterative coding approach among 3 research team members.

Results: Of 39,332 screenings analyzed, initial findings identified financial (62.1%), food (57.3%), housing (38.6%), and transportation (24.5%) needs. We will examine the frequency of connection to resources by group. Preliminary qualitative findings highlight both successes and opportunities for advancement, including encouragement by a more streamlined process and growing resource pool yet concern over time constraints. Providers also note data related to resource connection as the most important yet most challenging measure.

Conclusion(s): Our results highlight the progress and persistent obstacles in pediatric HRSN screening. Transitioning from paper to digital tools has enhanced data capture, yet tracking resource provision remains a barrier. We discuss primary and specialty care providers' shared and divergent perceptions of HRSN screening and follow up. Our findings underscore the importance of diverse stakeholder perspectives within the context of patient-clinician relationships. Our work can illuminate systemic and logistical challenges that must be addressed to ensure meaningful integration into outpatient practice. As our work evolves, we aim to assess ongoing efforts to protocolize outreach and follow-up methods to inform the next generation of HRSN screening strategies.

Table 1: Patient demographics by cohort and overall


Table 2: Summary of needs identified


Table 3: Connections by different types of needs