Social Determinants of Health & Optimizing Clinical Decision Making

Group Study Course

An understanding of the influence of social determinants of health on health outcomes in pediatric physical therapy is the basis for effective, equitable and collaborative care. This course will help pediatric physical therapists integrate these considerations as a necessary component of clinical decision making. The course includes a combination of asynchronous lectures, readings, and brief worksheets, along with a capstone project that explicitly encourages participants to apply and reflect on course information. The synchronous sessions will include lecture and small group discussion and interaction around key concepts.

Learning Objectives

At the completion of this course participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the upstream perspective of the role of social determinants of health on health disparities in pediatric physical therapy

  2. Integrate the relevance of social determinants of health screening into pediatric physical therapy practice and/or teaching opportunities.

  3. Describe opportunities for anti-racism, trauma-informed care, and cultural responsiveness in pediatric physical therapy.

  4. Describe the intersection of social determinants of health in pediatric physical therapy patient/client management.

  5. Apply strategies for optimizing health outcomes based on a pediatric physical therapy case focusing on social determinants of health.

Session Design

The first 2-hour session will provide definitions of social determinants of health, health equity, and health disparities. This will lead to an exploration of the economic, educational, health care and neighborhood-built environment aspects of social determinants of health, along with the overlapping cultural and structural systems. The focus will be on an upstream perspective of the root causes of health disparities. Strategies for optimizing health outcomes will be introduced including screening for social determinants of health needs and cultural responsiveness.

The second session, also 2 hours, will continue to provide strategies for optimizing health outcomes for children and families receiving pediatric physical therapy. The focus will be on anti-racism, exploring implicit biases, microaggressions, trauma-informed care, and clinical decision making integrating non-medical factors.

The final sessions will clarify the intersection of pediatric physical therapy and social determinants of health. Participants will share information from capstone projects and discuss these with course instructors and co-participants. The focus on practical strategies to incorporate social determinants of health into pediatric physical therapy patient management will support the clinician in equitable practice and the educator in preparing students to meet the needs of a diverse society.

Suggested Course Schedule
Pre-course  |  Review Chapter 2 in Campbell’s Physical Therapy for Children, 6th ed. (available for discount purchase); View online lecture; Complete pre-course self-assessment
Session 1  |  Pre-Session worksheet; Chapter 2 discussion and related article review (2hrs)
Session 2  |  Pre-Session worksheet; Chapter 2 discussion and related article review (2hrs)
Session 3  |  Pre-Session worksheet; Capstone projects discussion (3hrs)

Content Experts / Course Instructors
Dr. Casey Nesbit
Dr. Senobia Diane Crawford

Pricing
Individual Rate: $275
Group Rate (3-6 individuals registering as a group): $600

Credits
11.5 CEUs

Interest Form

If you are interested in taking the Social Determinants of Health & Optimizing Clinical Decision Making course, please fill out this form and we will be in touch!