Integrating SDOH Screening in Pediatric Dentistry

The NYU Grossman School of Medicine Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviewed and approved all study procedures (s20-00,696) for this prospective mixed-methods study. The IRB-approved protocol that includes the study instruments is available from the corresponding author upon written request. All Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) safeguards were followed. The provider participants in the study consist of 15 pediatric dentists (residents and faculty) employed at FHC who were introduced to the study during departmental meetings held in 2020, expressed a desire to be involved, provided informed consent, and underwent calibration on the administration of the SDOH screening instrument to the parents/guardians and the referral process for those desiring follow-up. The patient and parent/guardian participants consist of 40 pediatric dental patient–parent/guardian dyads who visited FHC in 2020–2021 for regularly scheduled dental appointments, were introduced to the study by a research team dentist who was not involved in treating the pediatric dental patient, and provided informed consent.
Feasibility was assessed using pediatric dental provider surveys administered pre- and post-implementation of the SDOH screening and referral protocol and the case management log of the assigned counselor in the Family Support Center at the health center. The a priori feasibility criterion was that post-intervention, 80% or more of the parents/guardians who endorsed SDOH needs were successfully referred to an assigned counselor at the Family Support Center. Acceptability was assessed using a parental/guardian perception questionnaire administered after completion of the SDOH screening and referral protocol. The a priori acceptability criterion was that 80% or more of the parent/guardian participants would feel comfortable completing the SDOH screening and referral intervention at the dental clinic.