Goal 4: Identify families with psychosocial concerns and provide
supports and services to address needs
Anticipated Impact
Psychosocial screening of all families will allow Children’s Colorado to provide
graduated levels of support depending upon the severity of their challenges.
While these supports will not necessarily be medical supports, they are an integral
part of the long-term health outcomes of our community that includes addressing
disparate health outcomes of African American women experiencing higher rates
of prematurity.
Strategy 4.1
Universal psycho-social screening for adverse conditions, particularly in the
hospital and pediatric well-child settings, to identify any concerns within the social
determinants of health.
Tactic: Create a Social Determinants of Health Oversight Committee.
Tactic: Select a Screening Tool
There are a number of widely available psychosocial screening tools that have been
tested and validated with broad audiences, and doctors affiliated with Children’s
have developed a tool that is in process of being finalized and validated. The small
group of stakeholders should review and select the tool that will best meet the
needs of the hospital.
Tactic: Develop Supporting Technology
Once a screening tool has been selected, the next step is to consider the method
for administering the screen. Children’s Colorado will use an electronic system for
administering the screen so surveys can be automatically scored and tiered so that
providers immediately know what level of intervention, if any, is required. Additionally,
data about families that are flagged for intervention can be instantaneously and
accurately shared with the groups or individuals who will provide those interventions,
large volumes of data can be collected on the Children’s Colorado population as a
whole and analyzed for key trends, and this data can then inform other efforts such
as public policy initiatives and public health activities.
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