NCT05251311

A Mixed-Method Evaluation of the Impact of Social Risk Screening on Uptake of Social Assistance

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 3,949 (actual)
• Sponsor: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 100 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Children are disproportionately affected by the rise in poverty rates in the United States. Economic hardships can compromise child development, overall health, and the ability to succeed in school and in life. The current economic recession and racial disparities underscored by COVID19 have magnified this impact on children and hastened the already rapid growth of screening protocols for social risk factors- such as food and housing insecurity, financial strain, and unsafe environments-within pediatric health care. However, it remains unclear what effect standardized screening has on family perception of and engagement with resources. Current implementation momentum for screening protocols is outpacing research, and is raising concern among patient advocates for unintended harm-alienating families for fear of stigma or worse, and overpromising services that may not exist. Through a rigorous mixed-method approach, the proposed study will explore the impact of screening on acceptance, perception, and engagement with social resources among families with children. Furthermore, by leveraging the new technology of resource mapping as the method of resource referral, this study will provide insight regarding its effectiveness as a social needs assistance strategy. The knowledge gained will provide guidance for policymakers and other healthcare systems on how to integrate social risk interventions into healthcare delivery in order to maximize the benefit to children and families.

Conditions

• Low-income Populations
• Social Determinants of Health

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Social Risk Screening Tool	Investigators will use an adapted version of the evidence-based WE CARE screening tool, which assesses need in the 5 domains most frequently requested by our patient population: housing, transportation, child care, food security, and household heat and electricity. This tool was selected as it is evidence-based, takes fewer than 5 minutes to complete, is written at a 3rd grade reading level, and allows for differentiation between social risk and caregiver desire for assistance, as well as areas of "emergency" need.
OTHER	Electronic Resource Map	All participants will receive access to an electronic, geographically searchable resource map hosted on Aunt Bertha
BEHAVIORAL	Resource Menu	Participants randomized to this experimental arm will receive a social resource menu tool, which assess desire for social resources.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-04-19
• Primary completion: 2023-09-22
• Completion: 2023-09-22
• First posted: 2022-02-22
• Last updated: 2024-11-27

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States