Poverty Related Education in Pediatrics: Current State, Gaps and Call to Action.

Children are the poorest age group in our country, with 1 in 6, or 12 million, living in poverty. This sobering statistic became even more appalling in spring 2020 when COVID-19 magnified existing inequities. These inequities are particularly important to pediatricians, because poverty, along with racism and other interrelated social factors, significantly impact overall child health and well-being. It is imperative that pediatric educators redouble their efforts to train learners to recognize and address health inequities related to poverty and all of its counterparts. In this paper, we describe the current state of poverty-related training in pediatric undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education as well as opportunities for growth. We highlight gaps in the current curricula, particularly around the intersectionality between poverty and racism, as well as the need for robust evaluation. Using a logic model framework, we outline content, learning strategies, and outcomes for poverty-related education. We include opportunities for the deployment of best practice learning strategies and the incorporation of newer technologies to deliver the content. We assert that collaboration with community partners is critical to shape the depth and breadth of education. Finally, we emphasize the paramount need for high-quality faculty development and accessible career paths to create the cadre of role models and mentors necessary to lead this work. We conclude with a call for collaboration between institutions, accrediting bodies, and policymakers to promote meaningful, outcome-oriented, poverty-related education, and training throughout the medical education continuum.

A Community Resource Liaison Embedded in Pediatric Primary Care Mitigates Social Risks through Identification and Connection.

BACKGROUND: Children living in poverty frequently experience health-related social needs. The pediatric primary care setting is a common touchpoint, allowing for risk identification and resource connection. METHODS: This is an evaluation of the effect of a community resource liaison's (CRL) first year embedded in a pediatric primary care center, 8/1/2015-7/31/2016. Primary outcomes include needs identified and connections made. Secondary outcomes include preventive service completion and acute utilization. RESULTS: During the study, the CRL interacted with 236 primary care patients, addressing 395 identified needs. The most common needs concerned housing and utilities, public benefits, and food/resource insecurity. The CRL patients were significantly more likely than non-CRL patients to be connected with on-site legal advocates, social workers, and an infant food insecurity program. There was no significant relationship with preventive service completion or use. CONCLUSION: A CRL embedded within a pediatric primary care center enhanced risk identification and resource connection.