Research In Practice Blog

Intro

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are key sources of nutrition support for low-income children and families. Previous research has demonstrated that many eligible individuals do not receive these benefits, often because they encounter administrative barriers to accessing these programs. Previous research has also found that families are interested in receiving benefits enrollment assistance in health care settings.  

A recent study explored the effects of embedding questions about food resources and support into a standardized nutrition screener administered in the pediatric primary care setting, and then providing families with expedited follow-up from a resource navigator.  

Study design & findings

A 9-question EHR-integrated electronic screener assessing diet, nutritional risk, and interest in food resources was administered to caregivers of infants 0-6 months at preventive primary care visits. Of 433 caregivers who completed the screener, 17 requested and quickly received information about local food banks in their area. Another 56 caregivers requested benefits application support—21 of these caregivers were successfully connected to programs and resources. More than half of these caregivers were unreachable, despite outreach attempts.  

This model for efficiently and conveniently identifying unmet health-related social needs and then quickly addressing them through EHR- and telephone-based assistance proved to be a feasible strategy for administering nutrition support. These study results also reinforce the importance of setting expectations for follow-up and maintaining accurate contact information and preferences in the EHR.  

Implications & Call to Action  

Families who are eligible for nutrition assistance programs encounter known process barriers. Caregivers attending pediatric preventive primary care visits are already engaging in health- and wellbeing-related discussions and planning. Embedding questions about food resources into a dedicated nutrition screener may help normalize and destigmatize food insecurity as a social need and support families in connecting to government nutrition benefit programs.  

Related Information & Resources

• CHOP Researchers Develop Easy-to-Use Screening Tool to Help Improve Family Access to Federal Nutrition Programs
• Caregiver Preference for Primary Care Clinic-Based Food Assistance: A Discrete Choice Experiment
• Reducing WIC Administrative Burdens to Promote Health Equity 

Clinical Futures author(s):  

Aditi Vasan, MD, MSHP; Gabrielle DiFiore, MPH; Maura Powell, MPH, MBA; Kate Morrow, MSS, LSW; Alexander Fiks, MD, MSCE; George Dalembert, MD, MSHP

Additional study author(s) from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia:  Katie McPeak, MD

Citation:  
Vasan A, Beatty B, DiFiore G, Powell M, Morrow K, Gwynn K, McPeak K, Fiks A, Dalembert G. Connecting families to benefit programs through a standardized nutrition screener. Ann Fam Med. 2024;22(3):259.