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

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Low-income Populations; Social Determinants of Health

Treatments: Behavioral: Social Risk Screening Tool; Other: Electronic Resource Map

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05251311

21-018785

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Enrollment: 3,949 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 100 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Caregivers presenting with a child to the pediatric clinical setting
• Child age 0-25

Exclusion criteria

• Engaged in complex care management services
• Child in critical condition
• Presenting to clinical setting specifically for social work intervention

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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3,949 participants in 2 patient groups

Social Risk Screening + Resource Map

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to the experimental arm will receive a social risk assessment tool followed by an electronic resource map

Treatment:

Other: Electronic Resource Map

Behavioral: Social Risk Screening Tool

Resource Map

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants randomized to the active comparator group will receive only an electronic resource map

Treatment:

Other: Electronic Resource Map