Assessing and Addressing Social Determinants of Health Among Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs

Social and environmental factors contribute to health inequities among children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). While still an emerging field of research, authors stress the need for greater understanding of the patterns and impacts of social determinants of health as experienced by CYSHCN. The authors highlight two primary areas of investigation:

1. How are social determinants of health best identified during care for children and youth with special health care needs?
2. Which programs, policies and/or system changes to address these social factors may have the most impact on improving child and family outcomes?

This article is part of a supplement to Academic Pediatrics that outlines a national health systems research agenda for CYSHCN. Learn more about the supplement and access all the articles.