Health Navigation During Pediatric Emergency Department Visits: Addressing Previously Identified Disparities in Unmet Social Needs

Health Navigation During Pediatric Emergency Department Visits: Addressing Previously Identified Disparities in Unmet Social Needs

Price, UT

Unmet social needs (USN) are associated with poorer health outcomes and increased healthcare utilization. Families experiencing USN are more likely to rely on emergency departments (EDs) for care, particularly when preventive care is inaccessible. In 2022, Tedford et al. identified a high prevalence of USN among families presenting to this pediatric emergency department (PED), highlighting the PED as a critical access point for intervention and the need for targeted programs within the same clinical setting.
In January 2024, a Health Navigation course was implemented within the Pediatric Clinical Research Education program at the University of Utah. Undergraduate and graduate students, enrolled in a Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) course, served as Health Navigators (HNs) at a freestanding children’s hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. HNs screened patients presenting to the PED for unmet social needs. Caregivers of patients with positive social screens participated in interviews to further assess barriers and received tailored referrals to community resources and primary care providers (PCPs).
The program identified ongoing USN consistent with those previously reported, including food insecurity, housing instability, transportation barriers, utility assistance, and lack of primary care.
A Health Navigation program developed in response to PED-based research is a feasible approach to addressing unmet social needs within the same emergency department population.