Screening for Social Determinants of Health at Well-Child Appointments: A Quality Improvement Project

Nurs Clin North Am. 2019 Mar;54(1):141-148. doi: 10.1016/j.cnur.2018.10.009. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

Abstract

Children living in poverty are vulnerable to the adverse effects associated with unmet basic needs, such as food and housing. Poverty threatens the overall growth and development of children placing them at risk for poor cognitive, behavioral, and psychological outcomes. Addressing social determinants of health in the pediatric primary care setting is within the role of the pediatric primary care provider. The Model for Improvement guided this quality improvement project in the implementation of food and housing insecurity screening during well-child appointments in a rural health clinic.

Keywords: Children; Food insecurity; Housing insecurity; Poverty; Quality improvement; Rural health clinic; Social determinants of health; Toxic stress.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Appointments and Schedules
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Food Supply / statistics & numerical data
  • Health Personnel / standards*
  • Housing / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Mass Screening / standards*
  • Poverty
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic*
  • Primary Health Care / standards*
  • Quality Improvement / standards*
  • Rural Health Services / standards*
  • Social Determinants of Health / standards*
  • United States