Screening and support for families' social needs in the NICU
Official title: Implementing a Social Determinants of Health Screening and Referral Care Model in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Funded at Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester · NIH-11168947 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project brings routine screening for housing, food, and other social needs to parents of preterm babies in the neonatal intensive care unit and connects families to community services.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $689,991 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD104772-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11168947 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are parents or caregivers of preterm infants who are hospitalized in the participating NICU(s), especially those with limited resources or known social needs.
✕Less likely to help
Families who are not cared for in the participating NICU(s) or whose needs cannot be met by available community resources may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
This project adapts a proven outpatient approach to screen families in the NICU for unmet social needs like housing, food, and job insecurity. NICU staff will use brief screening questions, make referrals to social services, and help families navigate resources during hospitalization and after discharge. The team will train clinicians, set up workflows to document needs and referrals, and follow families to see whether connections to services improve supports for their infants. The work focuses on families of preterm infants who often face higher social risk and aims to reduce barriers that can affect infant health and development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, families could get faster help for basic needs, which may improve care and long-term outcomes for preterm infants.
How similar studies have gone: Similar screening-and-referral programs in outpatient pediatrics have helped connect families to services, but bringing this model into the NICU is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
Worcester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Parker, Margaret Graham Kemper — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Parker, Margaret Graham Kemper
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.