Family Bridge Program for Health Disparities
Trial Summary
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 data supports the effectiveness of the Family Bridge Program treatment?
Research shows that using cultural leverage and patient navigation can help reduce health disparities by improving access to care and tailoring health information to cultural needs. These strategies have been successful in other programs, suggesting that similar approaches in the Family Bridge Program could be effective.12345
How is the Family Bridge Program treatment different from other treatments for health disparities?
The Family Bridge Program is unique because it focuses on family service navigation to overcome barriers in accessing health services, making it a low-cost and portable solution for preventing health disparities. Unlike other treatments, it emphasizes guiding families through existing services rather than providing direct medical interventions.678910
What is the purpose of this trial?
Pediatric healthcare inequities in the United States (US) remain persistent and pervasive. Suboptimal patient-provider communication plays an important role in creating and maintaining disparate outcomes; this is compounded by mismatches between a family's skills and resources and demands imposed by the complexity of the health system (such as health literacy and system navigation). Few interventions exist to address inequities related to communication and system navigation in the inpatient setting; given the established links between these inequities and disparate clinical outcomes, such interventions are needed. To address this gap, the study team collaborated with parents/caregivers, staff, and providers to develop and pilot-test a novel program to improve navigation ability, communication, and hospital-to-home transition for a diverse population of children and their families, The Family Bridge Program (FBP).The FBP combines principles of effective patient navigation and communication coaching interventions into a brief and targeted inpatient program. It is designed for a broad population of low-income children of color, is not disease-specific, is not limited to English proficient families, and is less time-intensive than traditional navigation, to enable provision of support to more families. The FBP, delivered in-person by a trained lay navigator, includes: (1) hospital orientation; (2) unmet social needs screening (e.g., food insecurity); (3) parent communication and cultural preference assessment, relayed to the medical team; (4) communication coaching for parents; (5) emotional support; (6) assistance with care coordination and logistics; and (7) a phone call 2 days post-discharge. Program elements are flexibly delivered based on parent need and interest.In pilot testing, the program was feasible to deliver, acceptable to parents and providers, and significantly improved parent-reported system navigation ability. 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 families will be randomized 1:1 (stratified by site and language) to FBP or usual care plus written resources. The specific aims of this clinical trial are to (1) Test the effect of the FBP on parent-reported system navigation ability, quality of hospital-to-home transition, diagnosis comprehension, observed communication quality, perceived stress and revisits for families of low-income children of color; (2) Examine whether changes in parent-reported barriers and needs mediate program effects; and (3) Identify subgroups of parents among whom the FBP is more effective. The proposed RCT will use a rigorous design to test a feasible, innovative program to address a critical national problem. If effective, the Family Bridge Program would provide a scalable model for improving health care experiences and outcomes for families of low-income children of color, including those who prefer a language other than English for their medical care.
Eligibility Criteria
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
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
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.
Post-Discharge Follow-up
A phone call is made 2 days post-discharge to assist with care coordination and logistics.
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment, including assessment of system navigation ability and hospital-to-home transition.
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Family Bridge Program
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Seattle Children's Hospital
Lead Sponsor
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Collaborator