Evaluating Care Integration Between Pediatric Primary Care Providers and WIC Nutritionists

Summary

This study looks at whether using secure digital systems to share information between pediatric health care providers (during regular well-child visits) and social care providers (during regular visits with WIC nutritionists) can help mothers receive consistent guidance on responsive parenting to support healthy child growth and development. Responsive parenting means learning how to respond to a baby's needs in ways that support healthy eating, sleep, activity, and emotion regulation habits. The main questions this study aims to answer are:

1. Does using secure digital systems to share information between pediatric health care providers and social care providers help mothers receive consistent guidance on responsive parenting to support healthy growth from birth to 24 months?
2. Does using secure digital systems to share information between pediatric health care providers and social care providers help mothers receive consistent guidance on responsive parenting, improve responsive parenting practices and child diet quality?

The investigators will compare the group that receives secure digital systems for sharing information on responsive parenting to a group that receives standard care (does not receive this) to see if secure digital systems for sharing information on responsive parenting work to support healthy child growth and development. The goal is to see if this approach can improve early health behaviors and reduce health disparities for families in rural, low-income communities.

Conditions

• Weight Gain Trajectory
• BMI
• Responsive Parenting
• Diet Quality
• Implementation

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Data integration around responsive parenting

The integrated PCP-WIC nutritionist care intervention group will receive 1) behavioral risk screening using a patient-reported outcome measure that is completed in the child's electronic health record; 2) an evidence-based responsive parenting curriculum ; 3) electronic integration and coordination between care settings to document and inform patient-centered messaging; and 4) telehealth coaching sessions and online educational modules to reinforce responsive parenting messaging at home.

BEHAVIORAL

Standard Care (in control arm)

Standard siloed care from PCPs and WIC nutritionists

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

  collaborator NIH

• Penn State University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

40 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-08-31

Primary Completion

2029-12-31

Completion

2029-12-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations