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Updated: Jun 13, 2025

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Social needs and healthcare utilization in NICU graduates
Cecile L Yama1,2, Rachel G Greenberg3,4, Erika Johnson4
1UCLA National Clinician Scholars Program, Los Angeles, CA, USA. cyama@mednet.ucla.edu.
Objective:
Unplanned healthcare utilization after neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) discharge challenges families and healthcare systems. The impact of social needs on post-NICU healthcare utilization is underexplored. Our objective was to identify social needs among NICU graduates and examine associations between social needs and post-NICU healthcare utilization.
Study Design:
A prospective cohort design was used to screen for social needs and track healthcare utilization among 112 NICU graduates attending a NICU follow-up clinic (2021-2022). Associations between social needs and healthcare utilization were analyzed using non-parametric statistical tests.
Results:
Of 112 patients screened, 20 (18%) had some social need. Infants with social needs experienced statistically significant higher rates of hospitalizations, overall encounters, and missed appointments.
Conclusion:
Social needs are associated with increased unplanned healthcare utilization and missed appointments. Addressing these needs during NICU follow-up may improve preventative care attendance and reduce unplanned healthcare use, leading to better outcomes for vulnerable infants and cost-savings for healthcare systems.
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