WIP 112 - Understanding Caregiver Perspectives on Social Needs Screening in Inpatient Pediatric Settings

Poster Number: WIP 112
Publication Number: WIP 112.881

Background: Health-related social needs (HRSN), defined as a person’s unmet social and economic needs, like housing, food, transportation, have been increasingly recognized as important contributors to health outcomes. This has led the American Academy of Pediatrics and several policy makers to recommend screening all patients for HRSN in healthcare settings.

Still, there is little consistency in screening for, responding to, and documenting HRSN. Additionally, little is understood about caregiver experiences of discrimination regarding HRSN screening. While there have been several studies assessing caregiver attitudes on screening in outpatient or emergency department settings, it is imperative to understand caregiver attitudes and preferences regarding HRSN screening in the uniquely vulnerable inpatient setting.

Objective: The aims of this study are to understand caregiver preferences on HRSN screening, acceptability of electronic medical record documentation, and experiences of discrimination.

Design/Methods: We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation research to develop a semi-structured interview guide. We used stratified purposive sampling to recruit English-speaking caregivers of diverse backgrounds on the pediatric medical surgical unit and pediatric transitional care unit at a tertiary academic hospital from February to August 2023. Eligible caregivers were identified using the daily inpatient census through the electronic medical record, then a random number generator was used to select participants. The study was approved by the UCSF institutional review board.

All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, then de-identified and uploaded to Dedoose software platform. Researchers will create a code book and independently review interviews using agreed upon codes. Three researchers will compare codes and use a consensus approach to modify codes. The codes will then be analyzed from November to March using both deductive and inductive analysis to identify themes. Analysis will be completed by April 2024.