Ohio AAP’s Newest Program to Address Injury Prevention & Child Abuse that Have Increased During the Pandemic
In December 2020 the CDC reported trends on the changes in child abuse and injuries occurring during the year, highlighting how public health emergencies impact the risks for child abuse and neglect. Many of the highest impact risk factors for children have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including:
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- Loss of income
- Increased stress in families
- Lack of child care
- Home schooling responsibilities
- Increased substance use
- Mental health conditions
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The results of these increased risks and the recommendation to address them is clear.
“The pandemic has affected health care–seeking patterns for child abuse and neglect, raising concerns that victims might not have received care and that severity of injuries remained stable or worsened. Implementation of strategies to prevent child abuse and neglect is important, particularly during public health emergencies.”
The Ohio AAP is empowering physicians to be part of the solution to this problem by identifying children at risk and providing resources to families through screening in a quality improvement collaborative. The Injury Prevention Plus SEEK is a Part IV MOC program will launch a third wave in February 2021, and is enrolling physicians now with flexible participation options. Participants in Wave 3 will receive assistance to connect families with community resources, as well as up to $1,000 in incentives for use with families – including board books and cabinet locks.
Previous waves of the Injury Prevention Plus SEEK program have reported positive results, including:
- 100% of practices improved ability to address social determinants of health
- 4 out of 5 practices sustained changes made during the project six months later
- Discussions of identified risks increased by 70% in just six months
To register today or learn more about how the Injury Plus SEEK program can assist your practice, visit http://oldsite.ohioaap.org/injuryprevplusseek or contact Olivia Simon at osimon@ohioaap.org.
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