Assessing the Effect of School-Based Health Centers on Achievement of National Performance Measures.

Abstract

We assess the impact of School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) on National Performance Measures (NPMs) related to health care access and utilization among Medicaid-insured youth in Delaware. Our retrospective analysis of Delaware's SBHC program data linked with Medicaid claims during 2014-2016 for 13 to 18-year-olds assessed achievement of NPMs and use of mental health services using propensity scores. We estimated crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (APR) for SBHC-enrolled compared with non-enrolled youth. Students enrolled in SBHCs had more health care visits (M=8.7; 95% CI: 7.9-9.5) compared with non-SBHC-enrolled youth (M=4.5; 95% CI: 4.3-4.7). Compared with non-SBHC, those enrolled in SBHCs were more likely to receive: well-child visits (APR=1.2; 95% CI: 1.1-1.3); annual risk assessment (APR=11.0; 95% CI: 6.9-17.5); BMI screening (APR=5.6; 95% CI: 3.3-9.4); nutrition counseling (APR=4.1; 95% CI: 2.8-6.0); physical activity counseling (APR=6.3; 95% CI: 4.2-9.4); STIs and chlamydia screening (APR=1.9; 95% CI: 1.3-2.8); mental health visits (APR=2.6; 95% CI: 2.2-3.1). We found that among Medicaid-insured youth, those enrolled in SBHCs vs not enrolled in SBHCs had greater health care utilization as evident from NPMs and mental health services.