Barriers to and Systems Solutions for Increasing Early Childhood Home Visiting Referrals by Health Care Providers Serving Urban and Rural Communities.

Abstract

Early childhood home visiting (ECHV) is an evidence-based prevention strategy that directly impacts maternal and child health by mitigating the poor outcomes associated with socioeconomic disadvantage and adverse childhood experiences that disproportionately affect marginalized populations. Despite its promise, health care providers in many communities do not routinely refer patients to these services. This qualitative study examined barriers to health care providers' referrals to ECHV services and identified systems-level strategies to overcome those barriers through semistructured interviews with 37 health care providers in New Mexico. Most participants were pediatricians or family practice physicians working in hospitals or community-based primary care settings, and the majority served rural communities. Barriers included insufficient knowledge about ECHV programs; lack of trust of program providers; time constraints; concerns about available funding; lack of a standardized referral process; and concerns about stigma and messaging. Five systems-level recommendations were developed to improve practice: (1) educating health care providers; (2) developing messaging prompts for providers to use when talking with patients about ECHV; (3) increasing engagement among providers and ECHV programs; (4) standardizing referral systems within practices; and (5) promoting universal referrals. Additional research is ongoing to determine the degree to which these health promotion strategies increase referrals and participation in ECHV.