The Reporting of Social Determinants of Health in Pediatric Dermatology Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review Protocol

Rationale: By 2044, 50% of the United States will be of minority status [1]. Given the changing US population, it is important to reconsider traditional ways of understanding diversity. Diversity in research allows for the examination of drivers of health disparities as evidenced by prior research finding differences in health outcomes dependent on patient race [2]. However, most scholars now agree that markers such as race and ethnicity are imperfect measures of variation as there is more genetic heterogeneity between people of the same race than those of different races [3]. Due to the known impact of social determinants on health disparities, these may serve as better tools to use in research analysis for understanding diversity and differences in health outcomes [4]. In this systematic review, we will discuss the current practice for using race in pediatric clinical trial research and provide a review of the use of social determinants of health in pediatric clinical trial research. Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to assess if there is reporting of social determinants of health in pediatric dermatology clinical trial research (specifically income, location, education, healthcare, and social support) and the conditions and setting this reporting occurs.