714 - Health-Related Social Needs Training for Medical Students During the Pediatric Clerkship

Publication Number: 2697.714

Sandra Al Tamimi, Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, United States; Brianna Lee, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; Kiara Smith, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Erica V. Lin, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Kristin Topel, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Columbia, MD, United States; Barry S. Solomon, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, MD, United States; Amit Pahwa, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; W. Christopher Golden, JohnsHopkinsU, Baltimore, MD, United States; Hanae Fujii-Rios, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States

Background: Pediatric inpatient settings provide opportunities to connect families with community resources to address health-related social needs (HRSN) during hospitalization; however, the role of medical students in this process remains underexplored.

Objective: To evaluate changes in medical students’ attitudes, knowledge, and confidence in assisting families with HRSN during their inpatient, hospital-based, pediatric clerkship following an educational intervention.

Design/Methods: From June 2024 to September 2025, medical students completing the Pediatrics Core Clerkship at an academic institution in Baltimore, MD, participated in a brief educational intervention combining didactic instruction and hands-on training using a web-based community resource platform. Students received biweekly reminders to share the tool with families of admitted pediatric patients. Voluntary 5-point Likert surveys (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) were administered pre-, post-, and three months post-clerkship to assess Kirkpatrick levels 1–3 outcomes (knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors). Descriptive data in addition to unpaired t-tests, and Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney tests were performed for analysis.

Results: Of 192 participants, 107 (56%) completed both pre- and immediate post-rotation surveys, and 32 (17%) completed the three-month post-rotation follow-up survey. Awareness of online resources to address HRSNs increased significantly from 3.3 to 4.3 (p <.001). Among those completing follow-up, mean awareness remained higher than baseline (4.0). The ability to navigate resources improved from 3.1 to 3.8 (p < .001) and was maintained at 3.6 among follow-up respondents. Confidence in identifying community resources increased from 3.2 to 3.9 (p < .001) and remained above baseline at 3.6 at follow-up. The ability to teach peers increased from 3.5 to 4.0 (p=.009) and was sustained at 3.7 in the smaller follow-up sample. Baseline attitudes toward the importance of addressing HRSN were high (mean 4.8) and stable across all time points.

Conclusion(s): Medical students initially held positive attitudes toward addressing HRSN, with a high baseline belief that HRSN influence health outcomes (mean 4.8), but they lacked practical skills. Following targeted education and opportunities to apply these skills in clinical settings, students demonstrated significant and sustained gains in knowledge, skills, and confidence. Incorporating medical students into inpatient HRSN care proved feasible, enhancing learning and engagement in addressing social needs during hospitalization.

Figure 1. Changes in medical students’ awareness, confidence, and skills addressing HRSN from pre-clerkship to post-rotation and three-month follow-up
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