Parent Perspectives on Social Risk Screening in the PICU

Area of Science:

• Pediatric critical care medicine
• Health equity research
• Qualitative health research

Background:

• Health inequities contribute to poor health outcomes, particularly in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs).
• Screening for social determinants of health (SDOH) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is recommended but not universally implemented.
• Limited guidance exists on effective screening methods in critical care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore parent perspectives on screening for SDOH and ACEs within the PICU setting.
• To determine the acceptability and perceived value of SDOH/ACEs screening among parents of critically ill children.
• To gather parent recommendations for implementing screening initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study involving semistructured interviews with eleven parents of children hospitalized in a PICU.
• Interviews were conducted between November 2021 and January 2022 at an urban, quaternary children's hospital.
• Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis and constant comparative methods.

Main Results:

• Ten out of eleven parents found SDOH/ACEs screening acceptable and valuable, even when resources for identified needs were limited.
• While participants had limited prior experience with ACEs screening, they recognized its value in providing context to the medical team.
• Parents recommended screening after their child is stabilized and suggested notification that screening is a universal process.

Conclusions:

• Screening for SDOH and ACEs is perceived as acceptable and valuable by parents in the PICU.
• Parental insights are crucial for developing effective, strengths-based screening initiatives.
• Leveraging family perspectives can improve support for unmet needs in critically ill children.