I am excited to share a sampling of projects that our PolicyLab researchers will be presenting at the annual Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) conference kicking off later this week in Washington, D.C. PAS is the premier national pediatrics research conference attended by physician-scientists, clinicians, educators, and other pediatric-focused research professionals. PolicyLab researchers attend each year to showcase new and ongoing research and discuss the policy and practice implications of their work with colleagues in a national forum. 

From the connection between neighborhoods and health, to early literacy, to autism screening, we are thrilled to support our researchers as they explore these topics and more at the conference—be sure to check out the sessions below if you’re attending PAS. If you would like to learn more about the topics, we’ve also linked to several related resources. 

For more coverage on our researchers at PAS 2023 and the many other sessions they’ll be participating in, follow along with us on Twitter during the conference at @PolicyLabCHOP using the conference hashtag #PAS2023.

Presidential Plenary:

Neighborhood Opportunity and Pediatric Primary Care Metrics in a Large Pediatric Primary Care Network – Stephanie Mayne, PhD

Saturday, April 29; 8:30 – 8:45 a.m. ET

As part of the APA Presidential Plenary on “Social Care Innovations: What’s on the Horizon,” Dr. Stephanie Mayne will present her team’s research on the connections between where children live and their health. Dr. Mayne’s body of work focuses on the influence of multi-level factors—including health policies, neighborhood environments, and health system factors—on health behaviors and chronic disease outcomes.

To learn more, read a recent blog post from Dr. Mayne and PolicyLab researcher Gabrielle DiFiore, MPH, on Neighborhood Safety and Social Connections: What’s the Potential Impact on Caregiver and Child Diet? 

For another exciting presentation on neighborhoods and health, be sure to check out Gabrielle DiFiore’s session on “Cumulative Health Risks among Adolescents Attending Primary Care Visits by Age and Neighborhood Opportunity” on Monday, May 1, from 8:30 AM – 8:45 AM ET.

Oral Abstract Sessions: 

Reach Out and Read in Early Infancy: A Mixed-Methods Study of Providers’ Beliefs and Behaviors – Danielle Sands, MPH 

Saturday, April 29; 8:45 AM – 9:00 AM ET

Danielle Sands will dive into her project focused on Reach Out and Read, a primary prevention strategy promoting early literacy through which health care providers use children’s books to connect with families, demonstrate shared reading techniques, evaluate developmental milestones as part of the well visit, and encourage parents and caregivers to read aloud with their child every day. Danielle’s research aims to better understand how reading, playful learning, and screen time impact children’s cognitive development, and how to best support parents in promoting their children’s early learning. 

To learn more, read a recently published policy brief on Opportunities for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program to Support Early Literacy Promotion in Pediatric Primary Care: A Spotlight on Reach Out and Read.

Primary Care Provider Perspectives on Autism Screening: A Multi-Methods Study of Barriers to Equitable Referral – Kate E. Wallis, MD, MPH

Monday, May 1; 1:15 PM – 1:30 PM ET

During this session, Dr. Kate Wallis will discuss her recent research on referrals made after young children screen positive for autism spectrum disorder during pediatric well-child visits. Through this body of work, Dr. Wallis aims to focus on improving the equity of identification of young children with developmental disorders and autism spectrum disorder, helping children from diverse backgrounds access earlier intervention.

To learn more about Dr. Wallis’s autism research, check out her recent blog post: Rates of Autism Increase, but Numbers Don’t Paint the Full Picture.

Workshop: 

Multilingual Research Methods: Including Families who Speak Languages Other than English (LOE) in Research – Co-led by Kate Yun, MD, MHS, Danielle Cullen, MD, MPH, MSHP & Marsha Gerdes, PhD

Sunday, April 30; 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET

During this workshop, several PolicyLab researchers, including Drs. Kate Yun, Danielle Cullen, and Marsha Gerdes, will share pragmatic and practical skills for including people who speak languages other than English in research. 

This group of PolicyLab researchers bring a variety of perspectives to the workshop, including working with immigrant and refugee communities, exploring socio-economic health disparities and improving family engagement with resources, and supporting parent-child relationships.

To learn more, check out this video on a Short Course on Multilingual Approaches to Research, a similar learning opportunity on this topic that will be hosted at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in May.