Caregiver and Pediatric Health Care Provider Views on Social Needs Identification.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians address the social determinants of health (SDOH) through research, community partnership, and policy development. This study aimed to identify the unmet SDOH of the patients served by the Pasadena-Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center (PA-PAHC) and to understand provider perspectives on screening for SDOH. The PA-PAHC is a low-income pediatric clinic in southeast Houston. A cross-sectional survey eliciting potential SDOH concerns was administered to caregivers of children presenting for their well-child exam, along with pediatric residents and staff/faculty. Staff/faculty and residents were asked about their perceptions of SDOH screening. Statistical analysis calculated frequencies for categorical data and mean/median for continuous variables. Secondary data analysis consisted of chi-square test and logistic regression. A total of 110 caregivers, 22 residents, and 21 staff/faculty participated in the study. Caregivers listed health care access the most frequently (15.5%), followed by childcare, school, and immigration status as SDOH concerns. Residents (31.8%) and staff/faculty (23.8%) also identified health care access as a concern. When comparing topic selection by survey role, there was no statistically significant difference among the 3 groups ( = .257). Residents were more likely to indicate that screening was more time-consuming than were faculty/staff ( = .004). Staff/faculty and residents agree that SDOH affect child health and screening is valuable in the patient encounter. There were no differences in the needs identified by the 3 groups. Further evaluation to assess caregiver perspectives on standardized SDOH screening versus obtaining routine social history needs to be undertaken.