Who is in Your Waiting Room? Social Determinants of Health and Adverse Childhood Experiences in Pediatric Surgery Clinics

Social determinants of health (SDoH) influence overall health, although little is known about the SDoH for pediatric patients requiring surgical services. This study aims to describe SDoH for pediatric surgical patients attending out-patient, community, and outreach clinics, as well as demonstrate the feasibility of identifying and addressing SDoH and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) when appropriate. A cross-sectional study using surveys evaluating SDoH that were distributed to families attending pediatric surgical clinics over a two-year period. The pilot survey used validated questions and was later refined to a shorter version with questions on: Barriers to care, Economic factors, Adversity, Resiliency and Social capital (BEARS). Data was analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. 851 families across 13 clinics participated. One third of families reported not having a primary health care provider or being unable to turn to them for additional support. One in four families were found to have a household income less than the Canadian after-tax low-income threshold (