Social needs screening during the COVID-19 pandemic

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Social Determinants of Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread job losses, increasing stress on families and hindering their ability to meet children's basic needs.
• Social determinants of health screenings are crucial for comprehensive pediatric care, but the pandemic reduced in-person well-child visits.
• Telephone screenings emerged as a necessary method to assess needs and connect families with resources during the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of telephone screenings for identifying social needs in pediatric patients.
• To connect families with essential resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A telephone welfare screening tool was developed and administered by pediatric resident physicians and medical students.
• Over a 9-week period, 671 families receiving primary care were contacted.
• Identified needs were documented, and families were provided resources via telephone using a community database.

Main Results:

• Out of 671 families contacted, 349 (52%) answered the call, and 328 (49%) participated in the screening.
• The most commonly identified needs were food insecurity (20%) and symptoms of depression (18%).
• These social needs were consistently reported across different family locations.

Conclusions:

• Telephone screening is a practical and valuable method for identifying and addressing the social needs of pediatric patients.
• The study confirms significant and widespread social needs among families due to the COVID-19 pandemic.