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Child health care in Charles County, Maryland: a needs assessment
Insights
Community leaders in Charles County identified unmet health care needs for disadvantaged children. A needs assessment confirmed these needs and revealed strong support for a volunteer clinic to improve access to pediatric care.
Area of Science:
- Community Health
- Pediatric Health Services
- Health Needs Assessment
Background:
- Perceived lack of health care services for disadvantaged infants and young children in Charles County, Maryland.
- Initiated by community leaders concerned about child health disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct an informal needs assessment for child health care services in Charles County.
- To identify and quantify unmet health care needs among low-income children.
- To gauge community and professional support for potential solutions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized public health statistical data to estimate the number of uninsured, low-income children under 10.
- Conducted a household survey to assess community perceptions of unmet needs and barriers.
- Performed a physician survey to gather professional insights on child health care gaps and solutions.
Main Results:
- Validated the existence of significant unmet health care needs for children in the county.
- Identified key barriers to accessing pediatric care for disadvantaged populations.
- Demonstrated substantial community and professional support for establishing a volunteer clinic.
Conclusions:
- The needs assessment confirmed a critical gap in health care access for vulnerable children in Charles County.
- A volunteer clinic is a supported and viable solution to address identified unmet needs and improve pediatric health outcomes.
Abstract:
In response to the perception of community leaders in Charles County, Maryland, that more health care services should be available for disadvantaged infants and young children in the county, an informal needs assessment was carried out. First, available public health statistical data were used to estimate the number of children under 10 years of age residing in low-income households without health insurance. Next, a household survey and a physician survey were used to determine community and professional attitudes regarding unmet child health care needs, barriers to care, and possible solutions. Survey results validate the existence of unmet health care needs of county children as well as support for a volunteer clinic to address these needs.