Social determinants of health including socioeconomic status, access to preventive care, and environmental factors may drive Black and Hispanic children’s risk of emergency department (ED) visits for asthma, according to new research.

A longitudinal study published in Nursing Outlook by a team of Camden-based investigators — including the Camden Coalition’s Director of Research and Evaluation Dawn Wiest, PhD — showed that school-aged Black and Hispanic children reported higher rates of ED visits for asthma symptoms than White children throughout the Covid pandemic.

The study, which assessed data from the Camden Coalition Health Information Exchange (HIE), showed the persistence of racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric asthma outcomes through the pandemic — an event that notably impacted ED use among impacted communities.

Our HIE’s reach and depth of data throughout South Jersey made it possible for investigators to assess these outcomes over the study period of 2017 – 2022. It contains electronic health records of five hospital systems encompassing 15 hospitals in the region. These hospital records included admission, discharge, and transfer data, along with laboratory results, ED visits, and hospitalizations. Investigators were also able to assess necessary demographic data including patient dates of birth, sex, race and ethnicity, and addresses through the HIE.

Overall, the study emphasizes the need for healthcare systems to address these social determinants through targeted interventions, including improving access to care and implementing community-based asthma management programs, to enhance health equity and reduce asthma-related health issues among vulnerable populations.