It’s about trust: Low-income parents’ perspectives on how pediatricians can screen for social determinants of health

Health care providers and payers are increasingly taking responsibility for health outcomes and population health through a variety of approaches, including screening for social determinants of health. Just as pediatricians need time and training to integrate these screenings into their practices, parents may not necessarily expect to discuss social needs with pediatricians when they take their children to them for care.

Attempts to integrate social determinants of health screenings into pediatric primary care are more likely to succeed if they are grounded in an understanding of parents’ receptivity to discussing social needs and responsive to their concerns about doing so. Yet little research has asked parents, particularly low-income parents, for their perspectives about social determinants of health and how screenings can be implemented successfully.

To help fill this gap, Public Agenda, with support from United Hospital Fund, conducted qualitative research with low-income parents in New York City in an effort to obtain answers to three main questions: What are these parents’ perspectives on social determinants of health? How receptive are they to discussing social needs with pediatricians? What are their ideas for making social determinants of health screenings work well?