WIP 42 - Use of Novel Curriculum to Improve Resident Ability to Address Social Influencers of Health in Pediatric Primary Care

Poster Number: WIP 42
Publication Number: WIP 42.2447

Background: There is consistent data supporting that the presence of social influencers of health (SIoH) lead to increased acute care visits, hospitalizations, and adverse health outcomes. Given the prevalence of SIoH among children, it is imperative training programs provide education to promote competence in addressing SIoH. Pediatric resident clinic provides an optimal opportunity to screen for SIoH and provide longitudinal support for families.

Objective: Currently, our large, urban pediatric residency program does not have a formalized approach to teach residents how to screen for SIoH. To address this unmet need, we aim to create a curriculum for pediatric resident trainees at our institution to increase comfort and competence in screening for SIoH at resident primary care clinics.

Design/Methods: A needs assessment was disseminated to all pediatric residents assessing comfort and competence addressing SIoH in clinic. The needs assessment was sent to 101 residents with 27 responses. Only 56% of residents report addressing SIoH in >50% of their well child visits. 44% of residents were comfortable or very comfortable and 52.6% rated themselves competent, highly experienced or expert discussing SIoH. Residents report relying on social workers and EMR tools for community resource referrals. The most common barriers to addressing SIoH included time and lack of knowledge of solutions. Based on the needs assessment results, a multi-day educational curriculum was launched in the pre-existing weekly clinic didactic schedule. First, a journal club was held with discussion focused on a landmark article about screening for SIoH in primary care and an article on how SIoH interact within the subspecialty fields. Subsequently, an educational talk was held on clinic resources available for families who screen positive and tips for engaging in discussions regarding SIoH. Residents will be sent a follow up survey assessing competence and comfort level 4 months after curriculum implementation. The intervention is complete, and by April post-survey data will be collected and analyzed.