School-Based Health Providers' Approaches to Social Risk Screening for Pediatric Asthma: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Public Health
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Childhood asthma exacerbations are common, costly, and linked to social determinants of health.
• School-based health providers may lack knowledge or data to address social factors in asthma care.
• Understanding provider practices is crucial for improving asthma management in schools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe how school-based health center providers gather information and screen for social risks in pediatric asthma exacerbations.
• To identify current practices, challenges, and needs related to social determinants of health screening in schools.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study using focus groups with school-based nurse practitioners.
• Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes from provider experiences.

Main Results:

• Providers utilize diverse information-gathering tactics for social determinants of health (SDOH).
• Missed opportunities for social risk screening exist within school settings.
• Providers face significant challenges in accessing and assessing SDOH information, highlighting feasibility issues.
• There is a recognized need for enhanced resources and increased awareness regarding social risk screening.

Conclusions:

• School-based health providers encounter substantial challenges in collecting SDOH information for children with asthma.
• These challenges impede effective screening and resource referral, impacting care for school-aged children.
• Findings support the development of informatics tools to improve SDOH screening in school health settings.