Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut.
Pediatrics. 2022 Nov 1;150(5). doi: 10.1542/peds.2022-057571.
Children in families facing energy insecurity have greater odds of poor health and developmental problems. In this study of families who requested and received medical certification for utility shut-off protection and were contacted by our Medical Legal Partnership (MLP), we aimed to assess concurrent health-related social needs related to utilities, housing, finances, and nutrition.
After medical certificates were completed at our academic pediatric center, our MLP office contacted families and assessed utility concerns as well as other health, social, and legal needs. In this observational study, we present descriptive analyses of patients who received certificates from September 2019 to May 2020 via data collected through the MLP survey during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (June 2020-December 2021).
Of 167 families who received utility shut-off protection from September 2019 to May 2020, 84 (50.3%) parents and guardians were successfully contacted. Most (93%) found the medical certificate helpful. Additionally, 68% had applied for Energy Assistance, and 69% reported they were on utility company payment plans. Most (78%) owed arrearages, ranging from under $500 to over $20 000, for gas, electric, and/or water bills. Food, housing, and financial insecurity screening positivity rates were 65%, 85%, and 74%, respectively.
Patients who were contacted by an MLP after receiving medical certification for utility shutoff protection were found to have challenges paying for utilities and faced multiple food, housing, and financial stressors. Through consultation and completion of medical forms for utility shutoff protection, pediatricians and MLPs can provide resources and advocacy to support families' physical, emotional, and psychosocial needs.
面临能源不安全的家庭中的儿童更有可能出现健康状况不佳和发育问题。在这项对请求并获得了公用事业关闭保护医疗证明并与我们的医疗法律伙伴关系 (MLP) 联系的家庭进行的研究中，我们旨在评估与公用事业、住房、财务和营养相关的并发健康相关社会需求。
在我们的学术儿科中心完成医疗证明后，我们的 MLP 办公室联系了这些家庭，评估了他们的公用事业问题以及其他健康、社会和法律需求。在这项观察性研究中，我们通过 MLP 调查在冠状病毒病 2019 大流行期间（2020 年 6 月至 2021 年 12 月）收集的数据，展示了从 2019 年 9 月至 2020 年 5 月期间因获得医疗证书而获得公用事业关闭保护的患者的描述性分析。
在 2019 年 9 月至 2020 年 5 月期间获得公用事业关闭保护的 167 个家庭中，有 84 个（50.3%）父母和监护人成功联系。大多数（93%）人发现医疗证明很有帮助。此外，68%的人申请了能源援助，69%的人报告他们正在与公用事业公司的付款计划合作。大多数（78%）人拖欠煤气、电和/或水费账单，欠款从不到 500 美元到超过 20000 美元不等。食物、住房和财务不安全筛查阳性率分别为 65%、85%和 74%。
通过 MLP 联系后获得公用事业关闭保护医疗证明的患者被发现难以支付公用事业费用，并且面临多种食物、住房和财务压力源。通过咨询和填写公用事业关闭保护医疗表格，儿科医生和 MLP 可以提供资源和支持，以满足家庭的身体、情感和心理社会需求。
