Phreesia Partners with Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) to Automate Delivery of its Screening Tool

Rhea-AI Summary

Phreesia has partnered with the developers of the SEEK model to provide pediatric primary care providers with a screening tool for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and negative social determinants of health (SDOH). This automated questionnaire enhances pediatricians' ability to deliver comprehensive care and address family issues such as parental depression and substance use. Studies show that implementing SEEK leads to significantly lower child maltreatment incidents. The SEEK tool will improve pediatric practices by allowing private completion via mobile devices before visits, enabling informed discussions during appointments.

Positive

• Partnership with SEEK model enhances the screening process for pediatric care.
• Implementation is expected to lead to lower child maltreatment incidents based on prior studies.
• The SEEK questionnaire allows for private completion, improving patient engagement and data collection.

Negative

• None.

Phreesia is pleased to partner with the developers of the Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) model to deliver their screening tool for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and negative social determinants of health (SDOH) to pediatric primary care providers across Phreesia’s network. This automated questionnaire will enhance pediatricians’ ability to provide high-quality, comprehensive care to their patients, and to promote the well-being of the children and families they serve.

The SEEK Parent Questionnaire-R (PQ-R) is one of seven validated tools on Phreesia’s patient intake platform that screen for SDOH—the conditions under which people live, learn, work and play that have a significant impact on their overall physical and mental health. Pediatricians can now use Phreesia to automate the administration and analysis of the evidence-based and cost-saving SEEK model to reveal and address problems such as parental depression or unhealthy substance use, thereby improving how families function and cope.

“We developed SEEK to help busy practices more efficiently identify problems families may face, in order to better support parents and promote children’s health, well-being, development and safety,” said Howard Dubowitz, MD, MS, FAAP, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and lead developer of the SEEK model. “Phreesia greatly helps to implement SEEK, making it easy for parents and professionals to use the tool, and ultimately supporting better outcomes for children and families.”

Findings from two large federally funded studies analyzing SEEK indicated that child maltreatment incidents were significantly lower among families whose primary care providers had implemented the SEEK model.

“Phreesia is increasingly focused on equipping providers with the tools to more effectively and efficiently identify psychosocial issues, which we know can have long-term negative effects on a child’s health and their ability to grow into thriving, productive adults,” said Christina Suh, MD, MPH, a pediatrician and Phreesia’s Clinical Content Director. “The addition of the SEEK screening tool to our platform will help pediatricians who implement the SEEK model to better identify and address risk factors associated with child abuse and neglect.”

As part of Phreesia’s intake and clinical screening process, parents may complete the SEEK questionnaire privately on their mobile device or computer before their children’s well-child visit. Providers receive a summary of SEEK results before the visit, preparing them to directly address identified problems with families during their appointment—for example, connecting a parent struggling with substance abuse to a treatment program.

About Phreesia

Phreesia gives healthcare organizations a suite of robust applications to manage the patient intake process. Our innovative SaaS platform engages patients in their healthcare and provides a modern, convenient experience, while enabling our clients to enhance clinical care and drive efficiency.

About SEEK

The evidence-based Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) model was developed to enhance pediatric primary care to better address problems facing many families, thereby supporting parents and parenting, promoting children’s health, well-being, development and safety, and preventing child maltreatment. It is being implemented in 27 states, Sweden and Italy. More information is available at www.SEEKwellbeing.org

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FAQ

What is the purpose of Phreesia's partnership with SEEK?

The partnership aims to enhance pediatric care by providing a screening tool for addressing adverse childhood experiences and social determinants of health.

What are the expected outcomes of implementing the SEEK model?

Implementation of the SEEK model is anticipated to lower child maltreatment incidents and improve overall family health outcomes.

How does the SEEK questionnaire improve pediatric practices?

The SEEK questionnaire automates the screening process, allowing parents to complete it privately before visits, thus enabling pediatricians to address identified issues directly.

What kind of issues does the SEEK model help identify?

The SEEK model helps identify issues such as parental depression and unhealthy substance use that can impact children's health and well-being.

In how many states is the SEEK model currently implemented?

The SEEK model is implemented in 27 states, as well as in Sweden and Italy.