Influence of Social Determinants of Health on Treatment Completion for Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in a Safety Net Hospital

Abstract

The negative impact of the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) on health care outcomes in vulnerable populations, particularly pediatric patients, is a well-established phenomenon. The treatment of traumatic brain injury is not an exception. It is not clear, however, which specific social determinants of health factor is more influential on the current management of traumatic brain injury in these populations. This study addresses this gap by exploring how these factors influence the treatment of traumatic brain injuries in pediatric patients at Boston Medical Center, a safety net hospital in Boston, MA. Our hypothesis suggests that the presence of some of the social determinants of health negatively affects the treatment of traumatic brain injury in children and youth. Through a χ² test of independence conducted on 247 patients, analyzing variables such as insurance status, primary language, race, ethnicity, and zip code, we demonstrated a lack of statistically significant evidence of a relationship between the identified social determinants of health and treatment completion status.