| Description |
Suboptimal social determinants of health (SDH) are associated with increased pediatric emergency department (PED) use. However, while SDH screening and referral are recommended in clinical guidelines and their implementation is extending to PEDs, there is limited understanding of views from PED healthcare team members (HTMs) on this evolving practice. We aimed to explore PED HTMs' views on SDH screening and referral processes. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study to explore PED HTMs' views on this process at a quaternary-level children's hospital. The survey assessed SDH screening practices, comfort and personal habits in screening, prioritization of SDH domains, workflows to perform screening, and perceived barriers to screening. There were 63 HTMs (48% response rate), all of whom reported SDH screening efforts should continue in the PED, yet 36% were unaware of the current SDH screening process. Participants reported a median comfort level rate of 47.5 out of 100 when asking SDH-related questions, and the highest reported barriers were "lack of knowledge/skill on resources" (77.3%), "lack of time" (68%), and "patient volume" (59%). Regarding the screening process, approximately half of the respondents suggested improvements in "integration of screening" and "variability of screening." This explorative analysis demonstrated that HTMs support continuing screening and referring patients for SDH. In addition, qualitative analysis highlights suggested improvements in screening and referral processes, opportunities for HTM training, and screening support to address social needs and ultimately improve patient health outcomes. |
