The Learning from Families Study (LFF) descriptive, longitudinal, non-intervention study aims to understand the environmental, economic, psychosocial, and physical strengths and needs of families with children requiring hospital care. With over 50 percent of families facing unmet social needs during pediatric care, this research seeks to bridge knowledge gaps, inform global best practices, and address disparities in family-centered care. By surveying caregivers staying at Ronald McDonald Houses at three critical time points, we aim to provide essential data for RMHC programming and enhance the well-being of families in pediatric care. More than 3,000 caregivers were surveyed across 14 countries, 25 Chapters, and 34 Ronald McDonald Houses.
As part of the LFF Study, Ronald McDonald House Charities Philadelphia is partnering with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and UCSF to learn more about the needs and strengths of families during a child’s hospital treatment and after returning home. Our partnership with Penn focuses on following parents over time to learn about how their socioeconomic status, urgent needs, challenges, and strengths change over time during and after receiving hospital care, with or without RMHC services, to provide new and much-needed data about the long-term impact on the family. Additionally, UCSF has partnered with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to explore the feasibility of merging hospital-acquired data with RMHC-acquired data to advance research on social determinants of health and the impact of family-centered care and support services on clinical outcomes of children and their families.
