News: Outpatient social care interventions can address SDOH for children, study finds

Outpatient social care interventions may strengthen outcomes for children and their families, according to a new review published in Academic Pediatrics.

The authors noted that along with medical care, social and economic conditions—social determinants of health (SDOH)—shape children’s health. SDOH conditions include access to safe environments, education, employment, housing, income, and social support.

Prior research has shown that children often experience poorer health outcomes if they face socioeconomic disadvantages. To address SDOH, outpatient healthcare settings, such as pediatric/family medicine clinics and ambulatory care centers, are increasingly being called upon to intervene by connecting families to social care supports.

The review examined 38 studies between 2013 and 2025 that involved pediatric clinics or federally qualified health centers.

Interventions addressing early literacy (ICD-10-CM code Z55.0) and educational outcomes were among the most frequently studied areas, appearing in 14 studies. Interventions that incorporated literacy education into pediatric visits were associated with improvements in home literacy environments, parent-child interactions, and early learning activities.

Screenings, referrals, and navigation were also frequently studied and associated benefits were identified. For example, universal screenings detected needs that might have been missed through approaches targeting only families considered at-risk. Other efforts improved referrals to community resources through the presence of an onsite navigator and increased participation in preventive healthcare services, such as well-child visits.

Food insecurity (Z59.41) was another major focus of studies. Programs connecting families with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) services; and food pantries were found to help increase enrollment and use. For example, colocating WIC services within healthcare facilities reduced transportation and childcare burdens and improved coordination between healthcare and social service professionals.

The review concluded that interventions helped improve access to resources and support child health and development, but some SDOHs remain underexplored, such as social isolation and transportation insecurity.

Editor’s note: To read the full review, click here. To read additional coverage from JustCoding, click here.