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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04135469

Tax Preparation Pilot

The goal of this study to understand what percentage of families in the pediatric clinic at Boston Medical Center (BMC) currently file taxes and use free tax preparation and would accept and use referral to a free tax preparation service. The investigators specifically want to understand which of two methods of connecting to free tax preparation (referral versus navigated connection) is more effective. Also studied will be the feasibility of using surveys on financial wellness and other health indicators to track participants' health.

These pilot findings will be used to design a larger study that aims to assess whether integrating free tax preparation services into a pediatric clinic can increase tax filing rates and, as a result, the amount of money families receive in tax refunds. Additionally, the investigators hope to understand whether receiving this service impacts parental stress as well as how parents and babies are using the healthcare system.

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Key information

Conditions

Financial Stress Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Maternal Distress Stress, Psychological

Age range

0 year–5 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Boston Medical Center

Boston, Massachusetts, 02118, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Guardian of a child 0-5 years
  • English, Spanish, or Haitian-Creole -speaking
  • Child is a Boston Medical Center pediatric primary care patient

Exclusion criteria

  • Guardian not present at time of clinic visit
  • Have no taxable income for the calendar year
  • Not using BMC for pediatric primary care
  • Have already filed their taxes for 2020

Treatment and study plan

Referral for tax preparation services

Other

Printed materials will be provided with contact information for tax preparation services at BMC and other sites in the city.

Navigator assisted tax preparation services at BMC

Other

A study navigator will assist the participant in accessing the BMC located tax preparation services.

Primary outcomes

  1. Financial well being

    Time frame: 12 months

    The consumer financial protection bureau (cfpb) financial -well-being questionnaire will be used to assess financial stability. It has 5 items with scores from from 0 to 4 where 4 is the response associated with the best financial well being. Total scores can range from 0 to 16. They are interpreted with a table stratifying the participants age as 19-61 and 62+ and higher scores are more favorable.

  2. Tax refund

    Time frame: 12 months

    A copy of the IRS tax return form will be reviewed to extract the total tax refund amount

  3. Tax credits

    Time frame: 12 months

    A copy of the IRS tax return form will be reviewed to extract the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit amounts

Secondary outcomes

  1. Maternal mental health

    Time frame: 12 months

    The Beck depression inventory is a 21 item instrument with options of responses from 0 to 3. Total scores can range from 0 to 63 and are interpreted with this rubric: 1-10, these ups and downs are considered normal; 11-16, mild mood disturbance; 17-20, borderline clinical depression; 21-30, moderate depression; 31-40, severe depression; over 40, extreme depression

  2. Maternal well being

    Time frame: 12 months

    The Flourishing Scale is a 12-item summary measure of well being. Each of the items is self-rated on a a scale of 0 to 10 where 10 is the best possible response related to well being. Total scores can range from 0 to 120. HIgher scores are associated with higher levels of well being.

  3. Parenting skills

    Time frame: 12 months

    The 'Me as a Parent' questionnaire will be used to assess parenting skills. It is a 16 item scale where a parent is asked to rate how strongly they agree or disagree with the statements. Responses range from 1 to 5 with 1- strongly disagree and 5= strongly agree. Total scores range from 16 to 80 and higher scores are associated with stronger parenting skills.

  4. Maternal healthcare utilization

    Time frame: 12 months

    The electronic medical record for the mother/guardian will be reviewed and the total number and types of health care utilized (eg outpatient visits and hospitalizations) will be abstracted.

  5. Child healthcare utilization

    Time frame: 12 months

    The electronic medical record for the child will be reviewed and the total number and types of health care utilized (eg outpatient visits and hospitalizations) will be abstracted.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Boston Medical Center

Other

Collaborators

  • Boston University

Registry information

Official study title

Integration of Tax Preparation Into Pediatric Clinics: A Pilot Study

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Oct 22, 2019
Registry last updated
Oct 5, 2020

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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