Objective: A subset of youth with T1D are at high risk of preventable acute events, such as DKA, and associated emergency department (ED) visits. Although studies have identified social factors associated with acute utilization risk between all youth with T1D, less is known about how to distinguish such risk amongst those already demonstrating poor health outcomes. This study examines the association between social risk and preventable complications in youth already struggling with self-management.
Methods: Youth (n=50) identified by medical providers as exhibiting chronic self-management difficulties were included in this study. Retrospective chart reviews of the year prior to medical provider referral included number of ED visits and identified social risk factors. Mean youth age was 14.6 years (SD=2.9); 38% were female; 90% were Caucasian.
Results: The relationship between frequency of ED visits and total number of social risks was nonsignificant; however, the presence of specific individual social risks was associated with presence of an ED visit (Table 1).
Conclusions: This is one of the first studies that identified the relationship between social risk and ED utilization in a high-risk pediatric population with T1D. While it is widely understood that social risk is associated with increased utilization, this study identifies key variables that may differentiate youth already at-risk for poor health outcomes.
A. Hartman: None. D.V. Wagner: None. C. Jenisch: None. S.A. Barry-Menkhaus: None. H. Luzod: None. L.E. Vaz: None. H. Gottfried-Lee: None. D. Phan: None. M.A. Harris: None.
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
