Family Bridge Program for Health Disparities

Enrolling by invitation at 1 trial location

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Seattle Children's Hospital

Disqualifiers: Long-term care, Psychiatric diagnosis, Child abuse, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a new program designed to help low-income families of color navigate the healthcare system more effectively. The Family Bridge Program aims to improve communication with healthcare providers, ease the transition from hospital to home, and reduce family stress. It includes hospital orientation, communication coaching, and follow-up support after discharge. Families with children under 18, who have public or no insurance, and identify as a racial or ethnic minority, qualify as good candidates for this trial. Participants will either receive this new program or the usual care with additional written resources. As an unphased study, this trial offers families a unique opportunity to access innovative support services that could significantly enhance their healthcare experience.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications. It seems focused on improving communication and navigation in healthcare rather than changing medical treatments.

What prior data suggests that the Family Bridge Program is safe for improving healthcare communication and navigation?

Research has shown that the Family Bridge Program has been positively received by families and healthcare providers. In a test run, parents found the program helpful, and it achieved successful delivery. No major safety issues emerged. The program helped parents better understand and navigate the healthcare system, indicating its effectiveness.

As the program is not a medical drug or device, it does not have side effects like those. Instead, it aims to improve communication and support for families during hospital stays. The Family Bridge Program assists with understanding hospital routines, finding social support, and enhancing communication with healthcare providers.

Overall, the program has demonstrated promising results in enhancing families' experiences without any reported negative effects. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Family Bridge Program because it addresses health disparities by involving the entire family in the healthcare process, which is not typically emphasized in standard care options. Most current treatments focus on individual patient care, but the Family Bridge Program aims to create a supportive network that empowers families with resources and education to manage health more effectively. This holistic approach could lead to improved health outcomes by bridging gaps in communication and understanding between healthcare providers and families.

What evidence suggests that the Family Bridge Program is effective for improving healthcare experiences for low-income children of color?

Studies have shown that the Family Bridge Program (FBP), a treatment arm in this trial, helps parents better navigate the healthcare system. In early tests, parents reported easier communication with doctors and nurses and a smoother transition from hospital to home. The program provides tools such as hospital tours and communication coaching, which have proven helpful for families facing social and language challenges. Initial findings suggest that the program could reduce stress and improve health outcomes for children from low-income families of color. Although more research is needed, early results indicate that FBP is a promising approach to addressing healthcare inequalities. ^{1 5 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

The trial is for parents/guardians of children admitted to a general pediatric service at participating hospitals, who prefer English, Spanish, Somali or Vietnamese for medical care. Participants must be over 18 years old and legal guardians of an eligible child with public or no insurance and non-white ethnicity.

Inclusion Criteria

Parents/guardians: The legal guardian of an eligible child

I am under 18 years old.

My child has public insurance or no insurance.

Exclusion Criteria

Children: Not be admitted for suspicion for child abuse.

Children: Not already be enrolled in long-term care coordination or patient services navigation

My child's primary diagnosis is not related to a psychiatric condition like anorexia or suicide attempts.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Inpatient Program

The Family Bridge Program is delivered in-person by a trained lay navigator, including hospital orientation, unmet social needs screening, communication coaching, and emotional support.

During hospital stay

In-person during hospital admission

Post-Discharge Follow-up

A phone call is made 2 days post-discharge to assist with care coordination and logistics.

2-6 weeks after discharge

Phone call 2 days post-discharge

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment, including assessment of system navigation ability and hospital-to-home transition.

2-6 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Family Bridge Program

Trial Overview The Family Bridge Program (FBP) aims to improve system navigation, communication between families and healthcare providers, and the transition from hospital to home for low-income children of color. It's compared against usual care plus written resources in a randomized controlled trial.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Family Bridge Program Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Group II: Care as Usual- Resources Only Active Control 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Seattle Children's Hospital

Lead Sponsor

Trials

319

Recruited

5,232,000+

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Collaborator

Trials

749

Recruited

11,400,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The 'Navigate Your Way' program, which provides telephone and web-mediated family service navigation, successfully connected 82.8% of participating caregivers to necessary health and social services, addressing significant unmet needs.

Caregivers reported a significant reduction in youth internalizing behaviors after the intervention, with a large effect size (d = 2.5), indicating that this model may effectively support families facing multiple barriers to care.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Promoting health and social equity through family navigation to prevention and early intervention services: a proof of concept study. Waid, J., Tomfohrde, O., Kutzler, C.[2022]

A successful patient navigation program for American Indian populations in the Northern and Southern Plains increased community knowledge about cancer and improved cancer screening behaviors through 24-hour workshops.

Collaboration with trusted Native Patient Navigators helped bridge the gap between patients and healthcare providers, enhancing adherence to care recommendations and ultimately improving quality of life and survival rates.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Navigation as an intervention to eliminate disparities in American Indian communities. Krebs, LU., Burhansstipanov, L., Watanabe-Galloway, S., et al.[2021]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11734742/

Pilot Evaluation of the Family Bridge Program, a Communication Children with low income and minority race and ethnicity have worse hospital outcomes, due partly to systemic and interpersonal racism causing communication ...

2. seattlechildrens.org seattlechildrens.org/research/centers-programs/child-health-behavior-and-development/publication-qas/pilot-evaluation-family-bridge-program/

Pilot Evaluation of the Family Bridge Program A few of these disparities include lower satisfaction with healthcare services, less family-centered communication, less adequate pain control and being at ...

3. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-healthcare-inequities-3-2024-b48e4

Family Bridge Program for Health Disparities · Info for Participants The current R01 proposes a two-site randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the effectiveness of FBP among 728 families of low-income children of color. Enrolled ...

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1876285923002280

Pilot Evaluation of the Family Bridge Program: A ... The Family Bridge Program was feasible, acceptable, and may have potential for overcoming barriers for hospitalized children at risk for disparities.

5. ctv.veeva.com ctv.veeva.com/study/family-bridge-program

Family Bridge Program - ClinicalTrials.Veeva The current R01 proposes a two-site randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the effectiveness of FBP among 728 families of low-income children of ...

6. ctnewsjunkie.com ctnewsjunkie.com/2025/05/13/family-bridge-program-for-newborns-alive-and-well-fully-funded/

Family Bridge Program For Newborns 'Alive And Well,' ' ... The free program allows for up to three home visits by a registered nurse to help parents of newborns transition from hospital to home.

7. portal.ct.gov portal.ct.gov/ohs/press-room/press-releases/2024-press-releases/family-bridge

Family Bridge This pilot program aims to ease transition from hospital to home for the parents of newborn babies by giving these families the option of having a nurse or ...

8. health.wvu.edu health.wvu.edu/media/18937/45-bonnie-ryan-21925.pdf

Addressing Transportation and Safety Barriers in ... Providing essential resources to families. •. Reducing healthcare disparities and improving patient experiences. SMARTER OBJECTIVE: IMPROVEMENT ACTION ...