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McQueen A, von Nordheim D, Caburnay C, Li L, Herrick C, Grimes L, Broussard D, Smith RE, Lawson D, Yan Y, Kreuter M. A Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the Effects of a Social Needs Navigation Intervention on Health Outcomes and Healthcare Utilization among Medicaid Members with Type 2 Diabetes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:936. [PMID: 39063512 PMCID: PMC11277523 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21070936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Health systems are increasingly assessing and addressing social needs with referrals to community resources. The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to randomize adult Medicaid members with type 2 diabetes to receive usual care (n = 239) or social needs navigation (n = 234) for 6 months and compare HbA1c (primary outcome), quality of life (secondary outcome), and other exploratory outcomes with t-tests and mixed-effects regression. Eligible participants had an HbA1c test in claims in the past 120 days and reported 1+ social needs. Data were collected from November 2019 to July 2023. Surveys were completed at baseline and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Health plan data included care management records and medical and pharmacy claims. The sample was from Louisiana, USA, M = 51.6 (SD = 9.5) years old, 76.1% female, 66.5% Black, 29.4% White, and 3.0% Hispanic. By design, more navigation (91.5%) vs. usual care (6.7%) participants had a care plan. Social needs persisted for both groups. No group differences in HbA1c tests and values were observed, though the large amount of missing HbA1c lab values reduced statistical power. No group differences were observed for other outcomes. Proactively eliciting and attempting to provide referrals and resources for social needs did not demonstrate significant health benefits or decrease healthcare utilization in this sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy McQueen
- School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (C.H.); (Y.Y.)
- Health Communication Research Lab, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Hall, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; (D.v.N.); (C.C.); (L.L.); (L.G.); (M.K.)
| | - David von Nordheim
- Health Communication Research Lab, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Hall, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; (D.v.N.); (C.C.); (L.L.); (L.G.); (M.K.)
| | - Charlene Caburnay
- Health Communication Research Lab, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Hall, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; (D.v.N.); (C.C.); (L.L.); (L.G.); (M.K.)
| | - Linda Li
- Health Communication Research Lab, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Hall, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; (D.v.N.); (C.C.); (L.L.); (L.G.); (M.K.)
| | - Cynthia Herrick
- School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (C.H.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Lauren Grimes
- Health Communication Research Lab, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Hall, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; (D.v.N.); (C.C.); (L.L.); (L.G.); (M.K.)
| | - Darrell Broussard
- Louisiana Healthcare Connections, 4171 Essen Ln, 2nd floor, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, USA; (D.B.); (R.E.S.); (D.L.)
- CGI Federal, 538 Cajundome Boulevard, Lafayette, LA 70506, USA
| | - Rachel E. Smith
- Louisiana Healthcare Connections, 4171 Essen Ln, 2nd floor, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, USA; (D.B.); (R.E.S.); (D.L.)
| | - Dana Lawson
- Louisiana Healthcare Connections, 4171 Essen Ln, 2nd floor, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, USA; (D.B.); (R.E.S.); (D.L.)
| | - Yan Yan
- School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (C.H.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Matthew Kreuter
- Health Communication Research Lab, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Hall, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; (D.v.N.); (C.C.); (L.L.); (L.G.); (M.K.)
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Schwenker R, Alayli A, Rasch L, Ballmeyer C, Maguire JL, Cohen-Silver J, De Bock F. Screening for adverse social conditions in child healthcare settings: protocol for a systematic review. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e081958. [PMID: 38904138 PMCID: PMC11191832 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adverse social conditions affect children's development and health outcomes from preconception throughout their life course. Early identification of adverse conditions is essential for early support of children and their families. Healthcare contacts with children provide a unique opportunity to screen for adverse social conditions and to take preventive action to identify and address emerging, potentially harmful or accumulating social problems. The aim of our study is to identify and describe available screening tools in outpatient and inpatient healthcare settings that capture social conditions that may affect children's development, health or well-being. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We will conduct a systematic review and will report the results following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidance. A systematic search of three databases (PubMed (Ovid), PsycInfo (EBSCOhost) and Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate)) for English-language and German-language articles from 2014 to date will be conducted. We will include peer-reviewed articles that develop, describe, test or use an instrument to screen children for multiple social conditions in paediatric clinics or other outpatient or inpatient child healthcare settings. Key study characteristics and information on screening tools will be extracted and presented in structured tables to summarise the available evidence. We will assess the methodological quality of the instruments with the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval is not required for this study as we will not be collecting any personal data. Dissemination will consist of publications, presentations, and other knowledge translation activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemarie Schwenker
- Clinic of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology and Center for Health and Society (CHS), Unit of Child Health Services Research, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Adrienne Alayli
- Clinic of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology and Center for Health and Society (CHS), Unit of Child Health Services Research, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lena Rasch
- Clinic of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology and Center for Health and Society (CHS), Unit of Child Health Services Research, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian Ballmeyer
- Clinic of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology and Center for Health and Society (CHS), Unit of Child Health Services Research, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jonathon L Maguire
- Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Freia De Bock
- Clinic of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology and Center for Health and Society (CHS), Unit of Child Health Services Research, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Colon M, Goodman JM. Screening tools for employment in clinical healthcare delivery systems: a content analysis. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:720. [PMID: 38862954 PMCID: PMC11167741 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10976-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship between work and health is complex and bidirectional, where work can have both health-harming and health-enhancing effects. Though employment is recognized as a social determinant of health, and clinical healthcare delivery systems are increasingly using screening tools to ask patients about social needs, little research has explored the extent to which employment-related social risk is captured in these screening tools. This study aimed to identify and characterize employment- and work-related questions in social risk screening tools that have been implemented in clinical healthcare delivery systems. METHODS We conducted a qualitative content analysis of employment-related items in screening tools that have been implemented in clinical healthcare service delivery systems. Three content areas guided data extraction and analysis: Setting, Domain, and Level of Contextualization. RESULTS Screening tools that asked employment-related questions were implemented in settings that were diverse in the populations served and the scope of care provided. The intent of employment-related items focused on four domains: Social Risk Factor, Social Need, Employment Exposure, and Legal Need. Most questions were found to have a low Level of Contextualization and were largely focused on identifying an individual's employment status. CONCLUSIONS Several existing screening tools include measures of employment-related social risk, but these items do not have a clear purpose and range widely depending on the setting in which they are implemented. In order to maximize the utility of these tools, clinical healthcare delivery systems should carefully consider what domain(s) they aim to capture and how they anticipate using the screening tools to address social determinants of health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Colon
- OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Portland, OR, USA.
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Kim RG, Ballantyne A, Conroy MB, Price JC, Inadomi JM. Screening for social determinants of health among populations at risk for MASLD: a scoping review. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1332870. [PMID: 38660357 PMCID: PMC11041393 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1332870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Social determinants of health (SDoH) have been associated with disparate outcomes among those with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its risk factors. To address SDoH among this population, real-time SDoH screening in clinical settings is required, yet optimal screening methods are unclear. We performed a scoping review to describe the current literature on SDoH screening conducted in the clinical setting among individuals with MASLD and MASLD risk factors. Methods Through a systematic literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL Complete databases through 7/2023, we identified studies with clinic-based SDoH screening among individuals with or at risk for MASLD that reported pertinent clinical outcomes including change in MASLD risk factors like diabetes and hypertension. Results Ten studies (8 manuscripts, 2 abstracts) met inclusion criteria involving 148,151 patients: 89,408 with diabetes and 25,539 with hypertension. Screening was primarily completed in primary care clinics, and a variety of screening tools were used. The most commonly collected SDoH were financial stability, healthcare access, food insecurity and transportation. Associations between clinical outcomes and SDoH varied; overall, higher SDoH burden was associated with poorer outcomes including elevated blood pressure and hemoglobin A1c. Conclusion Despite numerous epidemiologic studies showing associations between clinical outcomes and SDoH, and guidelines recommending SDoH screening, few studies describe in-clinic SDoH screening among individuals with MASLD risk factors and none among patients with MASLD. Future research should prioritize real-time, comprehensive assessments of SDoH, particularly among patients at risk for and with MASLD, to mitigate disease progression and reduce MASLD health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca G. Kim
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - April Ballantyne
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Molly B. Conroy
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Jennifer C. Price
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - John M. Inadomi
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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Ponton E, Singh T, Carwana M, Duffy DJ, Courtemanche R, Courtemanche DJ, Loock CA, Baird R. Who is in Your Waiting Room? Social Determinants of Health and Adverse Childhood Experiences in Pediatric Surgery Clinics. J Pediatr Surg 2024:S0022-3468(24)00248-3. [PMID: 38744639 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2024.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social determinants of health (SDoH) influence overall health, although little is known about the SDoH for pediatric patients requiring surgical services. This study aims to describe SDoH for pediatric surgical patients attending out-patient, community, and outreach clinics, as well as demonstrate the feasibility of identifying and addressing SDoH and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) when appropriate. METHODS A cross-sectional study using surveys evaluating SDoH that were distributed to families attending pediatric surgical clinics over a two-year period. The pilot survey used validated questions and was later refined to a shorter version with questions on: Barriers to care, Economic factors, Adversity, Resiliency and Social capital (BEARS). Data was analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS 851 families across 13 clinics participated. One third of families reported not having a primary health care provider or being unable to turn to them for additional support. One in four families were found to have a household income less than the Canadian after-tax low-income threshold (<$40,000 CAD). Two-thirds of families answered questions about ACEs, and those with more ACEs were more likely to report a low income. Forty percent of families rarely or only sometimes had adequate social support. CONCLUSION This survey tool enabled discussions between families and care providers, which allowed clinicians to appropriately follow-up with families and refer them to social work for further support when indicated. Addressing concerns around SDoH within a busy surgical clinical is feasible and may positively affect long-term health outcomes and equitable resource allocation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Ponton
- Office of Pediatric Surgical Evaluation and Innovation (OPSEI), BC Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3V4, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3V4, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 938 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Tanjot Singh
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3V4, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 938 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Matthew Carwana
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3V4, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 938 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Damian J Duffy
- Office of Pediatric Surgical Evaluation and Innovation (OPSEI), BC Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3V4, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3V4, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 938 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Rebecca Courtemanche
- Division of Plastic Surgery, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3V4, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 938 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Douglas J Courtemanche
- Division of Plastic Surgery, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3V4, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 938 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Christine A Loock
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3V4, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 938 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Robert Baird
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3V4, Canada.
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Hogg-Graham R, Scott AM, Clear ER, Riley EN, Waters TM. Technology, data, people, and partnerships in addressing unmet social needs within Medicaid Managed Care. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:368. [PMID: 38521923 PMCID: PMC10960441 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10705-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with unmet social needs experience adverse health outcomes and are subject to greater inequities in health and social outcomes. Given the high prevalence of unmet needs among Medicaid enrollees, many Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) are now screening enrollees for unmet social needs and connecting them to community-based organizations (CBOs) with knowledge and resources to address identified needs. The use of screening and referral technology and data sharing are often considered key components in programs integrating health and social services. Despite this emphasis on technology and data collection, research suggests substantial barriers exist in operationalizing effective systems. METHODS We used qualitative methods to examine cross-sector perspectives on the use of data and technology to facilitate MCO and CBO partnerships in Kentucky, a state with high Medicaid enrollment, to address enrollee social needs. We recruited participants through targeted sampling, and conducted 46 in-depth interviews with 26 representatives from all six Kentucky MCOs and 20 CBO leaders. Qualitative descriptive analysis, an inductive approach, was used to identify salient themes. RESULTS We found that MCOs and CBOs have differing levels of need for data, varying incentives for collecting and sharing data, and differing valuations of what data can or should do. Four themes emerged from interviewees' descriptions of how they use data, including 1) to screen for patient needs, 2) to case manage, 3) to evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and 4) to partner with each other. Underlying these data use themes were areas of alignment between MCOs/CBOs, areas of incongruence, and areas of tension (both practical and ideological). The inability to interface with community partners for data privacy and ownership concerns contributes to division. Our findings suggest a disconnect between MCOs and CBOs regarding terms of their technology interfacing despite their shared mission of meeting the unmet social needs of enrollees. CONCLUSIONS While data and technology can be used to identify enrollee needs and determine the most critical need, it is not sufficient in resolving challenges. People and relationships across sectors are vital in connecting enrollees with the community resources to resolve unmet needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Hogg-Graham
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, 111 Washington Ave, 107B, Lexington, KY, USA.
| | - Allison M Scott
- Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Emily R Clear
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, 111 Washington Ave, 107B, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Elizabeth N Riley
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, 111 Washington Ave, 107B, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Teresa M Waters
- Institute for Public and Preventive Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
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Eliason EL, Agostino J, MacDougall H. Social Determinants and Perinatal Hardships During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2024; 33:371-378. [PMID: 38011003 PMCID: PMC10924118 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2023.0290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: This study examined perinatal experiences of pandemic-related hardships and disparities by race/ethnicity, income, insurance type at childbirth, and urban/rural residency. Materials and Methods: We used cross-sectional survey data from the 2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System COVID-19 supplement in 26 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City to explore: (1) job loss or cut work hours/pay, (2) having to move/relocate or becoming homeless, (3) problems paying the rent, mortgage, or bills, or (4) worries that food would run out. We estimated the prevalence of outcomes overall and by race/ethnicity, income, insurance, and urban/rural residency. We used weighted multivariable logistic regression models to calculate adjusted predicted probabilities. Results: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 31.9% of respondents reported losing their job or having a cut in work hours or pay, 11.2% of respondents had to move/relocate or became homeless, 21.8% had problems paying the rent, mortgage, or bills, and 16.86% reported worries that food would run out. Compared to overall, rates of all hardships were higher among respondents who were non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, uninsured, or Medicaid insured. The adjusted predicted probability of employment instability, financial hardships, and food insecurity was significantly higher among non-Hispanic Black respondents and respondents who were uninsured. The adjusted predicted probability of all hardships was significantly higher among respondents with Medicaid. Conclusions: Black, Medicaid-insured, and uninsured respondents were particularly vulnerable to perinatal hardships during COVID-19. Our results suggest a need to alleviate the overall and disparate consequences of hardships for individuals who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica L. Eliason
- Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Jasmine Agostino
- Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Hannah MacDougall
- School of Social Work, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Puro N, Cronin CE, Franz B, Singh S, Feyereisen S. Differential impact of hospital and community factors on breadth and depth of hospital population health partnerships. Health Serv Res 2024; 59 Suppl 1:e14238. [PMID: 37727122 PMCID: PMC10796292 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim was to identify hospital and county characteristics associated with variation in breadth and depth of hospital partnerships with a broad range of organizations to improve population health. DATA SOURCES The American Hospital Association Annual Survey provided data on hospital partnerships to improve population health for the years 2017-2019. DESIGN The study adopts the dimensional publicness theory and social capital framework to examine hospital and county characteristics that facilitate hospital population health partnerships. The two dependent variables were number of local community organizations that hospitals partner with (breadth) and level of engagement with the partners (depth) to improve population health. The independent variables include three dimensions of publicness: Regulative, Normative and Cultural-cognitive measured by various hospital factors and presence of social capital present at county level. Covariates in the multivariate analysis included hospital factors such as bed-size and system membership. METHODS We used hierarchical linear regression models to assess various hospital and county factors associated with breadth and depth of hospital-community partnerships, adjusting for covariates. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Nonprofit and public hospitals provided a greater breadth (coefficient, 1.61; SE, 0.11; p < 0.001 and coefficient, 0.95; SE, 0.14; p < 0.001) and depth (coefficient, 0.26, SE, 0.04; p < 0.001 & coefficient, 0.13; SE, 0.05; p < 0.05) of partnerships than their for-profit counterparts, partially supporting regulative dimension of publicness. At a county level, we found community social capital positively associated with breadth of partnerships (coefficient, 0.13; SE, 0.08; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS An environment that promotes collaboration between hospitals and organizations to improve population health may impact the health of the community by identifying health needs of the community, targeting social determinants of health, or by addressing patient social needs. However, findings suggest that publicness dimensions at an organizational level, which involves a culture of public value, maybe more important than county factors to achieve community building through partnerships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeraj Puro
- College of Business, Health Administration DepartmentFlorida Atlantic UniversityBoca RatonFloridaUSA
| | - Cory E. Cronin
- College of Health Sciences and ProfessionsOhio UniversityAthensOhioUSA
| | - Berkeley Franz
- Heritage College of Osteopathic MedicineOhio UniversityIrvineCaliforniaUSA
| | - Simone Singh
- Department of Health Management and PolicyUniversity of Michigan School of Public HealthAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Scott Feyereisen
- College of Business, Health Administration DepartmentFlorida Atlantic UniversityBoca RatonFloridaUSA
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Msw RET, Warner L, Shy BD, Manikowski C, Roosevelt GE. A descriptive study of screening and navigation on health-related social needs in a safety-net hospital emergency department. Am J Emerg Med 2023; 74:65-72. [PMID: 37778164 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2023.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health-related social needs (HRSN) have been associated with worse clinical outcomes, increased Emergency Department (ED) utilization and higher healthcare costs. The ED is uniquely positioned to bring HRSN screening to the bedside and develop effective interventions. We evaluated whether navigation services for high-risk patients led to the resolution of HRSN. METHODS Navigators screened a convenience sample of patients for HRSN with the Accountable Health Communities Screening Tool from October 2019 to January 2022. Patients with HRSN were considered high-risk if they had at least two ED visits in the previous 12 months. Patients who were high-risk were eligible for navigation including community referrals and one-on-one close follow-up. The HRSN status (resolved, in-progress, unable to resolve) was queried from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid database. The state hospital association provided data on ED visits and inpatient hospitalizations within 6 months of the screening visit. RESULTS Of 185,470 ED visits, HRSN screening occurred in 4050 (2%). HRSN were self-reported in 48% (1944) of patient visits, with 71% of these (1379) considered high-risk. 15% of high-risk patients with HRSN opted out of navigation. Food insecurity was the most identified HRSN (35%) followed by housing instability (26%), transportation needs (24%) and utility assistance (15%). Food insecurity was the most resolved HRSN (39%, in-progress 32%) followed by utility assistance (37%, in-progress 26%), transportation needs (35%, in-progress 35%) and housing instability (28%, in-progress 36%). High-risk visits in which the patient or guardian accepted navigation were less likely to be associated with an ED visit within 6 months of the screening visit (51%) compared to high-risk patients in which the patient or guardian opted out of navigation (61%, p < 0.001), but there was no difference in inpatient hospitalizations (p = 0.427). CONCLUSIONS During the study period, one-third of HRSN were successfully resolved with another one-third in-progress. Navigation in high-risk patients was associated with fewer subsequent ED visits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Ellen Tubbs Msw
- Previous/Main: Denver Regional Council of Governments, 1001 17(th) Street, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80202, USA
| | - Leah Warner
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 601 Broadway, Denver, CO 80204, USA.
| | - Bradley D Shy
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 601 Broadway, Denver, CO 80204, USA.
| | - Christine Manikowski
- Previous/Main: Denver Regional Council of Governments, 1001 17(th) Street, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80202, USA
| | - Genie E Roosevelt
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 601 Broadway, Denver, CO 80204, USA.
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Mullen LG, Oermann MH, Cockroft MC, Sharpe LM, Davison JA. Screening for the social determinants of health: Referring patients to community-based services. J Am Assoc Nurse Pract 2023; 35:835-842. [PMID: 37471525 DOI: 10.1097/jxx.0000000000000922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Screening patients for the social determinants of health (SDOH) allows clinicians to identify those needs and tailor referral efforts. Due to constraints on clinic time and monetary resources, a simple screening tool incorporated into existing clinic workflow increases its usefulness and impact. LOCAL PROBLEM Our free, nurse-led, mobile health clinic (MHC) needed an enhanced process or tool for screening patients for SDOH. The purpose of this quality-improvement project was to screen adult patients in the MHC for SDOH needs and to increase volunteer staff perceptions of their knowledge and confidence in referring patients to relevant community-based services. METHODS A screening process and tool was developed using guidelines from the Health Leads to identify patients' SDOH needs and related requests for assistance. The tool was introduced to and tested among volunteer staff through pretest/posttest surveys. INTERVENTIONS Patients who visited the clinic were screened for the SDOH within the project period, and volunteer staff were surveyed about their perceptions of the screening tool. RESULTS Sixty-four patients were screened for SDOH needs. Twenty-three percent reported food insecurity, 27% housing insecurity, 14% difficulty obtaining utilities, and 17% difficulty obtaining transportation; 28% requested assistance with their reported SDOH needs. Seventeen percent of patients reported two or more SDOH needs. At posttest, 100% of volunteer staff ( N = 9) indicated satisfaction with the SDOH screening questions, reported feeling knowledgeable about resources to use for patient referrals, and were confident in referring patients to needed resources. CONCLUSION The screening tool aptly guided practice and was evaluated as "easy to use" for clinic patients and volunteer staff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh G Mullen
- Mobile Health Clinic, School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Marilyn H Oermann
- Mobile Health Clinic, School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Marianne C Cockroft
- Mobile Health Clinic, School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Leslie M Sharpe
- Mobile Health Clinic, School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jean A Davison
- Mobile Health Clinic, School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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11
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Wu L, Chang C, Lo K, Butler K, Uratsu C, McCloskey J, Ranatunga D, Grant R, Deguzman L. Telephone-based social health screening by pharmacists in the nonadherent Medicare population. J Manag Care Spec Pharm 2023; 29:1184-1192. [PMID: 37889865 PMCID: PMC10778802 DOI: 10.18553/jmcp.2023.29.11.1184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Unmet social health needs are associated with medication nonadherence. Although pharmacists are well positioned to address medication nonadherence, there is limited experience with screening for and addressing social health needs. OBJECTIVES: To compare the prevalence of social health needs among Medicare patients with higher vs lower social health risk using a predictive model. To also evaluate pre-post changes in medication adherence and health care use following a pharmacist-initiated social health screening. METHODS: A social health screening workflow was implemented into a routine pharmacist adherence program at an integrated health care delivery system. The social health screening was conducted during medication adherence outreach phone calls with Medicare members who were overdue for statin, blood pressure, or diabetes medications. We developed a social health need predictive algorithm to flag higher-risk patients and tested this algorithm against a random subset of lower-risk patients. Screening conversations were guided by a focus group that developed open-ended questions to identify social health needs. Comparisons in social health needs were made between higher- and lower-risk patients. Use and adherence outcomes were compared pre and post for patients who accepted a referral to social health resources and patients who declined a referral. RESULTS: 1,217 patients were contacted and screened for social health needs by pharmacists. Patients flagged by the social risk algorithm were more likely to report social health needs (28.7% vs 12.7% in the unflagged group; P < 0.01). Commonly reported needs included transportation (43%), finances (34%), caregiving (22%), mental health (11%), and food access (10%). 221 patients accepted a referral to a central resource website and call center that connected patients to local services. One year after screening dates, patients who did not accept a referral spent more time in the hospital (mean change +0.7 days, SD = 7.3, P < 0.01), had fewer primary care visits (mean change -0.5 visits, SD = 6.5, P < 0.01), and had a shorter length of membership (mean change -0.4 months, SD = 1.9, P < 0.01). Patients who accepted a referral had increased statin adherence (62.3% adherent pre vs 74.7% post, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: We implemented a workflow for pharmacists to screen for social health needs. The social health need prediction model doubled the identification rate of patients who have needs. Intervening on social health needs during these calls may improve statin adherence and may have no adverse effect on health care utilization or health plan membership. DISCLOSURES: Social health risk predictive model development and validation was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ R18HS027343).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Keras Lo
- Kaiser Permanente Regional Clinical Pharmacy, Oakland, CA
- Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, CA
| | - Kerri Butler
- Kaiser Permanente Regional Clinical Pharmacy, Oakland, CA
| | - Connie Uratsu
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Oakland, CA
| | - Jodi McCloskey
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Oakland, CA
| | - Dilrini Ranatunga
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Oakland, CA
| | - Richard Grant
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Oakland, CA
| | - Lynn Deguzman
- Kaiser Permanente Regional Clinical Pharmacy, Oakland, CA
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12
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Zhang WJ, Fornili K. Screening for Social Determinants of Health Among Medicare Beneficiaries in Primary Care During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Prince George's County, Maryland. J Community Health 2023; 48:903-911. [PMID: 37284919 PMCID: PMC10244830 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-023-01236-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Primary care providers in Prince George's County, Maryland reported inconsistencies in their ability to identify and refer patients with social care needs. This project aimed to improve health outcomes of Medicare beneficiaries by implementing social determinant of health (SDOH) screening to identify unmet needs and improve rates of referral to appropriate services. Buy-in was achieved from providers and frontline staff via stakeholder meetings at a private primary care group practice. The Health Leads questionnaire was modified and integrated into the electronic health record. Medical assistants (MA) were trained to conduct screening and initiate care plan referrals prior to visits with the medical provider. During implementation, 96.25% of patients (n = 231) agreed to screening. Of these, 13.42% (n = 31) screened positive for at least one SDOH need, and 48.39% (n = 15) reported multiple social needs. Top needs included social isolation (26.23%), literacy (16.39%), and financial concerns (14.75%). All patients screening positive for one or more social needs were provided referral resources. Patients who identified as being of Mixed or Other race had significantly higher rates of positive screens (p = 0.032) compared to Caucasians, African Americans, and Asians. Patients were more likely to report SDOH needs during in-person visits (17.22%) compared to telehealth visits (p = 0.020). Screening for SDOH needs is feasible and sustainable and can improve the identification of SDOH needs and resource referrals. A limitation of this project was the lack of follow-up to determine whether patients with positive SDOH screens had been successfully linked to resources after initial referral.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy J Zhang
- Dept. of Family & Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Katherine Fornili
- Dept. of Family & Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing (Retired), Baltimore, MD USA
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Conway SJ, Kuye IO, Yeatts J, Jaffery J, Berkowitz SA. Transforming Health Care from Volume to Value: Moving the Needle Through Population Health. Am J Med 2023; 136:874-877. [PMID: 37160195 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2023.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
United States health systems face unique challenges in transitioning from volume-based to value-based care, particularly for academic institutions. Providing complex specialty and tertiary care dependent on servicing large geographic areas, and concomitantly meeting education and research academic missions may limit the time and resources available for focusing on the care coordination needs of complex local populations. Despite these challenges, academic medicine is well situated to capitalize on the promise of value-based care and to lead broad improvements in both teaching and nonteaching hospitals. If properly executed, value-based care and complex specialty care can be complementary and synergistic. We postulate that the transition from volume to value in population health requires all health care organizations to advance and formalize infrastructure in 3 core areas: organizational capabilities; provider engagement; and engagement of the patient, family, and community. Although these apply to all organizations, for academic health systems, this transition must also be interwoven with the other domains of the tripartite mission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Conway
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.
| | - Ifedayo O Kuye
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md
| | - John Yeatts
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | | | - Scott A Berkowitz
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md; Office of Population Health, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Md
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Smith J, Liu C, Beck A, Fei L, Brokamp C, Meryum S, Whaley KG, Minar P, Hellmann J, Denson LA, Margolis P, Dhaliwal J. Racial Disparities in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care: Differences in Outcomes and Health Service Utilization Between Black and White Children. J Pediatr 2023; 260:113522. [PMID: 37244575 PMCID: PMC10894641 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.113522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe racial inequities in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease care and explore potential drivers. METHODS We undertook a single-center, comparative cohort study of newly diagnosed Black and non-Hispanic White patients with inflammatory bowel disease, aged <21 years, from January 2013 through 2020. Primary outcome was corticosteroid-free remission (CSFR) at 1 year. Other longitudinal outcomes included sustained CSFR, time to anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy, and evaluation of health service utilization. RESULTS Among 519 children (89% White, 11% Black), 73% presented with Crohn's disease and 27% with ulcerative colitis. Disease phenotype did not differ by race. More patients from Black families had public insurance (58% vs 30%, P < .001). Black patients were less likely to achieve CSFR 1-year post diagnosis (OR: 0.52, 95% CI:0.3-0.9) and less likely to achieve sustained CSFR (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.25-0.92). When adjusted by insurance type, differences by race to 1-year CSFR were no longer significant (aOR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.33, 1.04; P = .07). Black patients were more likely to transition from remission to a worsened state, and less likely to transition to remission. We found no differences in biologic therapy utilization or surgical outcomes by race. Black patients had fewer gastroenterology clinic visits and 2-fold increased odds for emergency department visits. CONCLUSIONS We observed no differences by race in phenotypic presentation and medication usage. Black patients had half the odds of achieving clinical remission, but a degree of this was mediated by insurance status. Understanding the cause of such differences will require further exploration of social determinants of health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Smith
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Chunyan Liu
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Andrew Beck
- Division of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Lin Fei
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Cole Brokamp
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Syeda Meryum
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Kaitlin G Whaley
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Phillip Minar
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Jennifer Hellmann
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Lee A Denson
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Peter Margolis
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Jasbir Dhaliwal
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.
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Sandhu S, Solomon L, Gottlieb LM. Awareness, Adjustment, Assistance, Alignment, and Advocacy: Operationalizing Social Determinants of Health Topics in Undergraduate Medical Education Curricula. ACADEMIC MEDICINE : JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN MEDICAL COLLEGES 2023; 98:876-881. [PMID: 37000825 DOI: 10.1097/acm.0000000000005223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Social and economic factors, such as those related to food, housing, and transportation, are major drivers of health and health inequities. Multiple national professional organizations have articulated roles for physicians in identifying and addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) and the need to include SDOH in all stages of physician education. Despite encouragement from these professional organizations, medical schools still do not routinely offer SDOH education alongside basic and clinical sciences curricula. A recent national expert consensus process identified priority SDOH knowledge domains and professional skills for medical students but lacked an organizing schema and specific pedagogical examples to help translate prioritized skills into routine pedagogical practice. One such schema is the 5As framework developed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which elaborates on 5 strategies to strengthen social care: awareness, adjustment, assistance, alignment, and advocacy. In this article, the authors highlight and provide examples of how mapping SDOH skills to the 5As framework can help educators meaningfully operationalize SDOH topics into specific curricular activities during the preclinical and clinical stages of undergraduate medical education. As a foundational first step in this direction, medical schools should conduct an internal curricular review of social care content (ideally mapped to the 5As framework) and identify opportunities to integrate these topics into existing courses when relevant (e.g., in social medicine, population health, and health systems science courses). Given that health and social care integration is highly context dependent, each medical school will likely need to tailor curricular changes based on their own institutional needs, mission, patient populations, and ties to the community. To increase interinstitutional alignment, medical schools might consider using or adapting peer-reviewed materials and assessments curated and centralized by the National Collaborative for Education to Address the Social Determinants of Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahil Sandhu
- S. Sandhu is a medical student, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Loel Solomon
- L. Solomon is professor, Department of Health Systems Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Pasadena, California
| | - Laura M Gottlieb
- L.M. Gottlieb is professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, and codirector, Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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16
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Gurewich D, Linsky AM, Harvey KL, Li M, Griesemer I, MacLaren RZ, Ostrow R, Mohr D. Relationship Between Unmet Social Needs and Care Access in a Veteran Cohort. J Gen Intern Med 2023:10.1007/s11606-023-08117-3. [PMID: 37340267 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-023-08117-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The association between unmet social needs (e.g., food insecurity) and adverse health outcomes is well-established, especially for patients with and at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This has motivated healthcare systems to focus on unmet social needs. Yet, little is known about the mechanisms by which unmet social needs impact health, which limits healthcare-based intervention design and evaluation. One conceptual framework posits that unmet social needs may impact health by limiting care access, but this remains understudied. OBJECTIVE Examine the relationship between unmet social needs and care access. DESIGN Cross-sectional study design using survey data on unmet needs merged with administrative data from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) Corporate Data Warehouse (September 2019-March 2021) and multivariable models to predict care access outcomes. Pooled and separate rural and urban logistic regression models were utilized with adjustments from sociodemographics, region, and comorbidity. SUBJECTS A national stratified random sample of VA-enrolled Veterans with and at risk for CVD who responded to the survey. MAIN MEASURES No-show appointments were defined dichotomously as patients with one or more missed outpatient visits. Medication non-adherence was measured as proportion of days covered and defined dichotomously as adherence less than 80%. KEY RESULTS Greater burden of unmet social needs was associated with significantly higher odds of no-show appointments (OR = 3.27, 95% CI = 2.43, 4.39) and medication non-adherence (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.19, 2.13), with similar associations observed for rural and urban Veterans. Social disconnection and legal needs were especially strong predictors of care access measures. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that unmet social needs may adversely impact care access. Findings also point to specific unmet social needs that may be especially impactful and thus might be prioritized for interventions, in particular social disconnection and legal needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Gurewich
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA.
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Amy M Linsky
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), Boston, MA, USA
- Section of General Internal Medicine, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kimberly L Harvey
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mingfei Li
- CHOIR, VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Bentley University, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Ida Griesemer
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Risette Z MacLaren
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rory Ostrow
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Mohr
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Williams GR, Fowler M, Giri S, Dai C, Harmon C, Al‐Obaidi M, Stephenson C, Bona K, Landier W, Bhatia S, Wolfson J. Association of unmet basic resource needs with frailty and quality of life among older adults with cancer-Results from the CARE registry. Cancer Med 2023; 12:13846-13855. [PMID: 37245226 PMCID: PMC10315805 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Basic resource needs related to transportation, housing, food, and medications are important social determinants of health and modifiable indicators of poverty, but their role in modifying the risk of frailty and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains unknown. The goal of our study was to examine the prevalence of unmet basic needs and their association with frailty and HRQoL in a cohort of older adults with cancer. METHODS The CARE registry prospectively enrolls older adults (≥60 years) with cancer. Assessments of transportation, housing, and material hardship were added to the CARE tool in 8/2020. The 44-item CARE Frailty Index was used to define frailty, and subdomains of physical and mental HRQoL were assessed using the PROMIS® 10-global. Multivariable analysis examined the association between unmet needs with frailty and HRQoL subdomains, adjusting for covariates. RESULTS The cohort included 494 participants. Median age of 69 years, 63.6% were male and 20.2% were Non-Hispanic (NH) Black. Unmet basic needs were reported in 17.8% (transportation 11.5%, housing 2.8%, and material hardship 7.5%). Those with unmet needs were more often NH Black (33.0% vs. 17.8%, p = 0.006) and less educated ( CONCLUSIONS Unmet basic needs represent a novel exposure that is independently associated with frailty and low HRQoL and warrants the development of targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant R. Williams
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes & SurvivorshipUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
- O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Mackenzie Fowler
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes & SurvivorshipUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Smith Giri
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes & SurvivorshipUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
- O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Chen Dai
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes & SurvivorshipUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Christian Harmon
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes & SurvivorshipUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Mustafa Al‐Obaidi
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes & SurvivorshipUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | | | - Kira Bona
- Division of Population SciencesDana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Wendy Landier
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes & SurvivorshipUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
- O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Smita Bhatia
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes & SurvivorshipUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
- O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Julie Wolfson
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes & SurvivorshipUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
- O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
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Kraynov L, Quarles A, Kerrigan A, Mayes KD, Mahmoud-Werthmann S, Fockele CE, Duber HC, Doran KM, Lin MP, Cooper RJ, Wang NE. Proceedings from the 2021 SAEM Consensus Conference: Research Priorities for Interventions to Address Social Risks and Needs Identified in Emergency Department Patients. West J Emerg Med 2023; 24:295-301. [PMID: 36976612 PMCID: PMC10047718 DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2022.11.57293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Emergency departments (ED) function as a health and social safety net, regularly taking care of patients with high social risk and need. Few studies have examined ED-based interventions for social risk and need. METHODS Focusing on ED-based interventions, we identified initial research gaps and priorities in the ED using a literature review, topic expert feedback, and consensus-building. Research gaps and priorities were further refined based on moderated, scripted discussions and survey feedback during the 2021 SAEM Consensus Conference. Using these methods, we derived six priorities based on three identified gaps in ED-based social risks and needs interventions: 1) assessment of ED-based interventions; 2) intervention implementation in the ED environment; and 3) intercommunication between patients, EDs, and medical and social systems. RESULTS Using these methods, we derived six priorities based on three identified gaps in ED-based social risks and needs interventions: 1) assessment of ED-based interventions, 2) intervention implementation in the ED environment, and 3) intercommunication between patients, EDs, and medical and social systems. Assessing intervention effectiveness through patient-centered outcome and risk reduction measures should be high priorities in the future. Also noted was the need to study methods of integrating interventions into the ED environment and to increase collaboration between EDs and their larger health systems, community partners, social services, and local government. CONCLUSION The identified research gaps and priorities offer guidance for future work to establish effective interventions and build relationships with community health and social systems to address social risks and needs, thereby improving the health of our patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliya Kraynov
- Valleywise Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Aaron Quarles
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Andrew Kerrigan
- University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Los Angeles, California
| | | | | | - Callan E Fockele
- University of Washington, Department of Emergency Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Herbert C Duber
- University of Washington, Department of Emergency Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Kelly M Doran
- NYU School of Medicine, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Population Health, New York, New York
| | - Michelle P Lin
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Richelle J Cooper
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, UCLA Department of Emergency Medicine, Los Angeles
| | - Nancy Ewen Wang
- Stanford University, Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford, California
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Karran EL, G. Cashin A, Barker T, A. Boyd M, Chiarotto A, Dewidar O, Petkovic J, Sharma S, Tugwell P, Moseley GL. The ' what' and ' how' of screening for social needs in healthcare settings: a scoping review. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15263. [PMID: 37101795 PMCID: PMC10124546 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Adverse social determinants of health give rise to individual-level social needs that have the potential to negatively impact health. Screening patients to identify unmet social needs is becoming more widespread. A review of the content of currently available screening tools is warranted. The aim of this scoping review was to determine what social needs categories are included in published Social Needs Screening Tools that have been developed for use in primary care settings, and how these social needs are screened. Methods We pre-registered the study on the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/dqan2/). We searched MEDLINE and Embase from 01/01/2010 to 3/05/2022 to identify eligible studies reporting tools designed for use in primary healthcare settings. Two reviewers independently screened studies, a single reviewer extracted data. We summarised the characteristics of included studies descriptively and calculated the number of studies that collected data relevant to specific social needs categories. We identified sub-categories to classify the types of questions relevant to each of the main categories. Results We identified 420 unique citations, and 27 were included. Nine additional studies were retrieved by searching for tools that were used or referred to in excluded studies. Questions relating to food insecurity and the physical environment in which a person lives were the most frequently included items (92-94% of tools), followed by questions relating to economic stability and aspects of social and community context (81%). Seventy-five percent of the screening tools included items that evaluated five or more social needs categories (mean 6.5; standard deviation 1.75). One study reported that the tool had been 'validated'; 16 reported 'partial' validation; 12 reported that the tool was 'not validated' and seven studies did not report validation processes or outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Karran
- IIMPACT in Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Aidan G. Cashin
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Health and Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Trevor Barker
- IIMPACT in Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Mark A. Boyd
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Alessandro Chiarotto
- Department of General Practice, Erasmus University/Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Omar Dewidar
- Bruyere Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | | | - Saurab Sharma
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Health and Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter Tugwell
- Department of Medicine and School of Epidemiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - G. Lorimer Moseley
- IIMPACT in Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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20
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Fan Q, Nogueira L, Yabroff KR, Hussaini SMQ, Pollack CE. Housing and Cancer Care and Outcomes: A Systematic Review. J Natl Cancer Inst 2022; 114:1601-1618. [PMID: 36073953 PMCID: PMC9745435 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djac173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Access to stable and affordable housing is an important social determinant of health in the United States. However, research addressing housing and cancer care, diagnosis, and outcomes has not been synthesized. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of studies examining associations of housing and cancer care and outcomes using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and CINAHL. Included studies were conducted in the United States and published in English between 1980 and 2021. Study characteristics and key findings were abstracted and qualitatively synthesized. RESULTS A total of 31 studies were identified. Housing-related measures were reported at the individual level in 20 studies (65%) and area level in 11 studies (35%). Study populations and housing measures were heterogeneous. The most common housing measures were area-level housing discrimination (8 studies, 26%), individual-level housing status (8 studies, 26%), and individual-level housing concerns (7 studies, 23%). The most common cancer outcomes were screening (12 studies, 39%) and mortality (9 studies, 29%). Few studies assessed multiple dimensions of housing. Most studies found that exposure to housing insecurity was statistically significantly associated with worse cancer care (11 studies) or outcomes (10 studies). CONCLUSIONS Housing insecurity is adversely associated with cancer care and outcomes, underscoring the importance of screening for housing needs and supporting systemic changes to advance equitable access to care. Additional research is needed to develop and test provider- and policy-level housing interventions that can effectively address the needs of individuals throughout the cancer care continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinjin Fan
- Surveillance and Health Equity Science Department, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Leticia Nogueira
- Surveillance and Health Equity Science Department, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - K Robin Yabroff
- Surveillance and Health Equity Science Department, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - S M Qasim Hussaini
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Craig E Pollack
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
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21
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Fan Q, Keene DE, Banegas MP, Gehlert S, Gottlieb LM, Yabroff KR, Pollack CE. Housing Insecurity Among Patients With Cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 2022; 114:1584-1592. [PMID: 36130291 PMCID: PMC9949594 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djac136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Social determinants of health are the economic and environmental conditions under which people are born, live, work, and age that affect health. These structural factors underlie many of the long-standing inequities in cancer care and outcomes that vary by geography, socioeconomic status, and race and ethnicity in the United States. Housing insecurity, including lack of safe, affordable, and stable housing, is a key social determinant of health that can influence-and be influenced by-cancer care across the continuum, from prevention to screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. During 2021, the National Cancer Policy Forum of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine sponsored a series of webinars addressing social determinants of health, including food, housing, and transportation insecurity, and their associations with cancer care and patient outcomes. This dissemination commentary summarizes the formal presentations and panel discussions from the webinar devoted to housing insecurity. It provides an overview of housing insecurity and health care across the cancer control continuum, describes health system interventions to minimize the impact of housing insecurity on patients with cancer, and identifies challenges and opportunities for addressing housing insecurity and improving health equity. Systematically identifying and addressing housing insecurity to ensure equitable access to cancer care and reduce health disparities will require ongoing investment at the practice, systems, and broader policy levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinjin Fan
- Correspondence to: Qinjin Fan, PhD, Surveillance & Health Equity Science Department, American Cancer Society, 3380 Chastain Meadows Pkwy, NW Suite 200, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA (e-mail: )
| | - Danya E Keene
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Matthew P Banegas
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Gehlert
- Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Laura M Gottlieb
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - K Robin Yabroff
- Surveillance & Health Equity Science Department, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Craig E Pollack
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
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22
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Beidler LB, Razon N, Lang H, Fraze TK. "More than just giving them a piece of paper": Interviews with Primary Care on Social Needs Referrals to Community-Based Organizations. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:4160-4167. [PMID: 35426010 PMCID: PMC9708990 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-022-07531-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary care practices are responding to calls to incorporate patients' social risk factors, such as housing, food, and economic insecurity, into clinical care. Healthcare likely relies on the expertise and resources of community-based organizations to improve patients' social conditions, yet little is known about the referral process. OBJECTIVE To characterize referrals to community-based organizations by primary care practices. DESIGN Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with healthcare administrators responsible for social care efforts in their organization. PARTICIPANTS Administrators at 50 diverse US healthcare organizations with efforts to address patients' social risks. MAIN MEASURES Approaches used in primary care to implement social needs referral to community-based organizations. RESULTS Interviewed administrators reported that social needs referrals were an essential element in their social care activities. Administrators described the ideal referral programs as placing limited burden on care teams, providing patients with customized referrals, and facilitating closed-loop referrals. We identified three key challenges organizations experience when trying to implement the ideal referrals program: (1) developing and maintaining resources lists; (2) aligning referrals with patient needs; and (3) measuring the efficacy of referrals. Collectively, these challenges led to organizations relying on staff to manually develop and update resource lists and, in most cases, provide patients with generic referrals. Administrators not only hoped that referral platforms may help overcome some of these barriers, but also reported implementation challenges with platforms including inconsistent buy-in and use across staff; integration with electronic health records; management and prioritization of resources; and alignment with other organizations in their market. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE Referrals to community-based organizations were used in primary care to improve patients' social conditions, but despite strong motivations, interviewees reported challenges providing tailored and up-to-date information to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Beidler
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA
| | - Na'amah Razon
- Family and Community Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, USA
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | | | - Taressa K Fraze
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.
- Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 465, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA.
- Healthforce Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.
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23
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Hudon C, Dumont-Samson O, Breton M, Bourgueil Y, Cohidon C, Falcoff H, Senn N, Van Durme T, Angrignon-Girouard É, Ouadfel S. How to Better Integrate Social Determinants of Health into Primary Healthcare: Various Stakeholders' Perspectives. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15495. [PMID: 36497570 PMCID: PMC9736940 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This paper aims to identify challenges and opportunities related to the integration of social determinants of health (SDH) into primary healthcare at an international symposium in Orford, Quebec, Canada. A descriptive qualitative approach was conducted. Three focus groups on different topics were led by international facilitators. Two research team members took notes during the focus groups. All the material was analyzed using a thematic analysis according to an inductive method. Many challenges were identified, leading to the identification of potential opportunities: integrate the concept of SDH in all phases of the training curriculum for health professionals to foster interprofessional and intersectoral collaboration and sociocultural skills; organize healthcare for better outreach to vulnerable populations; organize local and regional committees to develop management frameworks to produce and use territory-specific data; develop dashboards for primary healthcare providers describing the composition of their territory's population; work collaboratively, rallying primary healthcare providers, community organization delegates, patient partners, citizens, and municipality representatives around common projects. Discussions prompted new directions for further primary healthcare research, among which are building on best practices in the literature and in the field, and engaging various stakeholders in research, including vulnerable populations, while focusing on patient experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Hudon
- Département de Médecine de Famille et de Médecine D’urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Olivier Dumont-Samson
- Département de Médecine de Famille et de Médecine D’urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Mylaine Breton
- Département des Sciences de la Santé Communautaire, Université de Sherbrooke, Longueuil, QC J4K 0A8, Canada
| | | | - Christine Cohidon
- Département de Médecine de Famille, Centre Universitaire de Médecine Générale et Santé Publique (Unisanté), Université de Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hector Falcoff
- Société de Formation Thérapeutique du Généraliste/Recherche (SFTG Recherche), 75013 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Senn
- Département de Médecine de Famille, Centre Universitaire de Médecine Générale et Santé Publique (Unisanté), Université de Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thérèse Van Durme
- Institut de Recherche Santé et Société, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Émilie Angrignon-Girouard
- Département de Médecine de Famille et de Médecine D’urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Sarah Ouadfel
- Département de Médecine de Famille et de Médecine D’urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
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24
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Massar RE, Berry CA, Paul MM. Social needs screening and referral in pediatric primary care clinics: a multiple case study. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:1369. [DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08692-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Unmet social risks such as housing, food insecurity and safety concerns are associated with adverse health outcomes in adults and children. Experimentation with social needs screening in primary care is currently underway throughout the United States. Pediatric primary care practices are well-positioned to amplify the effects of social needs screening and referral programs because all members of the household have the potential to benefit from connection to needed social services; however, more research is needed to determine effective implementation strategies.
Methods
To describe common implementation barriers and facilitators, we conducted 48 in-depth qualitative interviews with leadership, providers and staff between November 2018 and June 2019 as part of a multiple case study of social needs screening and referral programs based out of four pediatric ambulatory care clinics in New York City. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded using a protocol-driven, template-based rapid analysis approach designed for pragmatic health services research. In addition to analyzing content for our study, we delivered timely findings to each site individually in order to facilitate quality improvement changes in close-to-real time.
Results
Effective implementation strategies included tailoring screening tools to meet the needs of families seen at the clinic and reflect the resources available in the community, hiring dedicated staff to manage the program, building strong and lasting partnerships with community-based organizations, establishing shared communication methods between partners, and utilizing technology for efficient tracking of screening data. Respondents were enthusiastic about the value of their programs and the impact on families, but remained concerned about long-term sustainability after the grant period.
Conclusion
Implementation of social needs screening and referral interventions is dependent on contextual factors including the nature of family needs and the availability of intraorganizational and community resources to address those needs. Additional research is needed to prospectively test promising implementation strategies that were found to be effective across sites in this study. Sustainability of programs is challenging, and future research should also explore measurable outcomes and payment structures to support such interventions in pediatric settings, as well as aim to better understand caregiver perspectives to improve engagement.
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25
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Furbacher J, Fockele C, Del Buono B, Janneck L, March C, Molina M, Duber H, Doran K, Lin M, Cooper R, Modi P. 2021 SAEM Consensus Conference Proceedings: Research Priorities for Developing Emergency Department Screening Tools for Social Risks and Needs. West J Emerg Med 2022; 23:817-822. [DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2022.8.57271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The Emergency Department (ED) acts as a safety net for our healthcare system. While studies have shown increased prevalence of social risks and needs among ED patients, there are many outstanding questions about the validity and use of social risks and needs screening tools in the ED setting.
Methods: In this paper, we present research gaps and priorities pertaining to social risks and needs screening tools used in the ED, identified through a consensus approach informed by literature review and external expert feedback as part of the 2021 SAEM Consensus Conference -- From Bedside to Policy: Advancing Social Emergency Medicine and Population Health.
Results: Four overarching research gaps were identified: (1) Defining the purpose and ethical implications of ED-based screening; (2) Identifying domains of social risks and needs; (3) Developing and validating screening tools; and (4) Defining the patient population and type of screening performed. Furthermore, the following research questions were determined to be of highest priority: (1) What screening tools should be used to identify social risks and needs? (2) Should individual EDs use a national standard screening tools or customized screening tools? (3) What are the most prevalent social risks and needs in the ED? and (4) Which social risks and needs are most amenable to intervention in the ED setting?
Conclusion: Answering these research questions will facilitate the use of evidence-based social risks and needs screening tools that address knowledge gaps and improve the health of our communities by better understanding the underlying determinants contributing to their presentation and health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Furbacher
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Department of Emergency Medicine, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Callan Fockele
- University of Washington, Department of Emergency Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Ben Del Buono
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Emergency Medicine, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Laura Janneck
- University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Cooper March
- University of Washington, Department of Emergency Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Melanie Molina
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Emergency Medicine, San Francisco, California
| | - Herbet Duber
- University of Washington, Department of Emergency Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Kelly Doran
- NYU School of Medicine, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Population Health, New York, New York
| | - Michelle Lin
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Richelle Cooper
- UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Los Angeles, California
| | - Payal Modi
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Department of Emergency Medicine, Worcester, Massachusetts
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26
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Trauma-Focused CBT in the Context of Parental Chronic Medical Conditions: A Case Report. COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2021.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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27
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Cole MB, Nguyen KH, Byhoff E, Murray GF. Screening for Social Risk at Federally Qualified Health Centers: A National Study. Am J Prev Med 2022; 62:670-678. [PMID: 35459451 PMCID: PMC9035213 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Federally Qualified Health Centers serve 29.8 million low-income patients across the U.S., many of whom have unaddressed social risks. In 2019, for the first time, data on social risk screening capabilities were collected from every U.S. Federally Qualified Health Center. The objectives of this study were to describe the national rates of social risk screening capabilities across Federally Qualified Health Centers, identify organizational predictors of screening, and assess between-state heterogeneity. METHODS Using a 100% sample of U.S. Federally Qualified Health Centers (N=1,384, representing 29.8 million patients) from the 2019 Uniform Data System, the primary outcome was whether a Federally Qualified Health Center collected data on patients' social risk factors (yes/no). Summary statistics on the rates of social risk screening capabilities were generated in aggregate and by state. Linear probability models were then used to estimate the relationship between the probability of social risk screening and 7 key Federally Qualified Health Center characteristics (e.g., Federally Qualified Health Center size, Medicaid MCO contract, Medicaid accountable care organization presence). Data were analyzed in 2020‒2021. RESULTS Most (71%) Federally Qualified Health Centers collected social risk data, with a between-state variation. The most common screener was the Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients' Assets Risks and Experiences (43% of Federally Qualified Health Centers that screened), whereas 22% collected social risk data using a nonstandardized screener. After adjusting for other characteristics, Federally Qualified Health Centers with social risk screening capabilities served more total patients, were more likely to be located in a state with a Medicaid accountable care organization, and were less likely to have an MCO contract. CONCLUSIONS There has been widespread adoption of social risk screening tools across U.S. Federally Qualified Health Centers, but between-state disparities exist. Targeting social risk screening resources to smaller Federally Qualified Health Centers may increase the adoption of screening tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan B Cole
- Department of Health Law, Policy, & Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | - Kevin H Nguyen
- Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Elena Byhoff
- Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Genevra F Murray
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
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28
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Anderst A, Hunter K, Andersen M, Walker N, Coombes J, Raman S, Moore M, Ryan L, Jersky M, Mackenzie A, Stephensen J, Williams C, Timbery L, Doyle K, Lingam R, Zwi K, Sheppard-Law S, Erskine C, Clapham K, Woolfenden S. Screening and social prescribing in healthcare and social services to address housing issues among children and families: a systematic review. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e054338. [PMID: 35487725 PMCID: PMC9058796 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Housing is a social determinant of health that impacts the health and well-being of children and families. Screening and referral to address social determinants of health in clinical and social service settings has been proposed to support families with housing problems. This study aims to identify housing screening questions asked of families in healthcare and social services, determine validated screening tools and extract information about recommendations for action after screening for housing issues. METHODS The electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Ovid Emcare, Scopus and CINAHL were searched from 2009 to 2021. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed literature that included questions about housing being asked of children or young people aged 0-18 years and their families accessing any healthcare or social service. We extracted data on the housing questions asked, source of housing questions, validity and descriptions of actions to address housing issues. RESULTS Forty-nine peer-reviewed papers met the inclusion criteria. The housing questions in social screening tools vary widely. There are no standard housing-related questions that clinical and social service providers ask families. Fourteen screening tools were validated. An action was embedded as part of social screening activities in 27 of 42 studies. Actions for identified housing problems included provision of a community-based or clinic-based resource guide, and social prescribing included referral to a social worker, care coordinator or care navigation service, community health worker, social service agency, referral to a housing and child welfare demonstration project or provided intensive case management and wraparound services. CONCLUSION This review provides a catalogue of housing questions that can be asked of families in the clinical and/or social service setting, and potential subsequent actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ania Anderst
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, The George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kate Hunter
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, The George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Melanie Andersen
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, The George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Natasha Walker
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, The George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Julieann Coombes
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, The George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shanti Raman
- Community Paediatrics, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Melinda Moore
- Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (Randwick Campus), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lola Ryan
- Child, Youth and Family Services, Population and Community Health, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michelle Jersky
- Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (Randwick Campus), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Amy Mackenzie
- Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (Randwick Campus), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jennifer Stephensen
- Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (Randwick Campus), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Carina Williams
- Youth Health Services, Community Health, NSW Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lee Timbery
- Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (Randwick Campus), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kerrie Doyle
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Raghu Lingam
- Population Child Health Clinical Research Group, School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Karen Zwi
- Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (Randwick Campus), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Population Child Health Clinical Research Group, School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Suzanne Sheppard-Law
- Faculty of Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Kathleen Clapham
- Ngarruwan Ngadju First Peoples Health and Wellbeing Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Susan Woolfenden
- Population Child Health Clinical Research Group, School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Community Paediatrics Research Group, Institute for Women, Children and Families, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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29
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Byhoff E, Guardado R, Xiao N, Nokes K, Garg A, Tripodis Y. Association of Unmet Social Needs with Chronic Illness: A Cross-Sectional Study. Popul Health Manag 2022; 25:157-163. [PMID: 35171031 PMCID: PMC9058872 DOI: 10.1089/pop.2021.0351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Screening for social needs during routine medical visits is increasingly common. To date, there are limited data on which social needs are most predictive of health outcomes. The aim of this study is to build a predictive model from integrated social needs screening and health data to identify individual or clusters of social needs that are predictive of chronic illnesses. Using the electronic medical record data from a Federally Qualified Health Center collected from January 2016 to December 2020, demographic, diagnosis, and social needs screening data were used to look at adjusted and unadjusted associations of individual unmet social needs with chronic illnesses (n = 2497). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) model was used to identify which social need(s) were associated with overall burden of chronic illness, and individual diagnoses of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and psychiatric illness. The LASSO model identified age, race, language, gender, insurance, transportation, and food insecurity as significant predictors of any chronic illness. Using these variables in a multivariable model, transportation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.66) was the only social need that remained significantly associated with chronic illness diagnosis. Transportation need was also significantly associated with diabetes (aOR 1.44) and psychiatric illness (aOR 1.98). Food insecurity was associated with obesity (aOR 10.21). Using LASSO models to identify significant social needs, transportation was identified as a predictor in 3 of the 5 models. Further research is warranted to evaluate if addressing patients' transportation needs has the potential to mitigate chronic disease sequelae for vulnerable adults to advance health equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Byhoff
- Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rubeen Guardado
- Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nan Xiao
- Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Keith Nokes
- Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Arvin Garg
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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30
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Zellmer L, Johnson B, Idris A, Mehus CJ, Borowsky IW. Post-Identification Approaches to Addressing Health-Related Social Needs in Primary Care: A Qualitative Study. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:802-808. [PMID: 34331212 PMCID: PMC8904656 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-07033-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social determinants of health play a fundamental role in a patient's health status. In recent years, health systems across the nation have implemented numerous strategies aimed at identifying and addressing the health-related social needs of the patients they serve. Despite the influx of peer-reviewed research highlighting outcomes of specific health-related social needs interventions, the spectrum of practices utilized by primary care clinics has not been established. OBJECTIVE To determine the range of ways primary care clinics address health-related social needs after identification and initial contact with a frontline staff person is completed. DESIGN We conducted 12 semi-structured, in-person interviews with staff from purposively sampled clinics. If the interview included more than one staff person, all participants were interviewed together. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-one administrative staff and frontline clinic personnel with experience in 24 separate primary care clinics in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. APPROACH Interviews focused on the range of health-related social needs processes utilized by clinics, including staff titles, referral procedures, and barriers to addressing needs. Interview recordings were transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. KEY RESULTS Thematic analysis identified variation in four key areas involving how clinics address patients' health-related social needs after identification and initial contact by frontline staff: clinic personnel involved in addressing needs, clinic referral processes, "resource" and "success" definitions, and barriers to accessing community-based supports. CONCLUSIONS This study describes the large variation in primary care clinic practices to address health-related social needs after they are identified. The results suggest challenges to standardization and real-world application of previously published studies. Our findings also highlight the opportunity for improved relationships between health systems and community-based agencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Zellmer
- University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Bryan Johnson
- University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Ahmed Idris
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Christopher J Mehus
- Institute for Translational Research in Children's Mental Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Iris W Borowsky
- Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Albertson EM, Chuang E, O'Masta B, Miake-Lye I, Haley LA, Pourat N. Systematic Review of Care Coordination Interventions Linking Health and Social Services for High-Utilizing Patient Populations. Popul Health Manag 2022; 25:73-85. [PMID: 34134511 PMCID: PMC8861924 DOI: 10.1089/pop.2021.0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Recognizing that social factors influence patient health outcomes and utilization, health systems have developed interventions to address patients' social needs. Care coordination across the health care and social service sectors is a distinct and important strategy to address social determinants of health, but limited information exists about how care coordination operates in this context. To address this gap, the authors conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications that document the coordination of health care and social services in the United States. After a structured elimination process, 25 publications of 19 programs were synthesized to identify patterns in care coordination implementation. Results indicate that patient needs assessment, in-person patient contact, and standardized care coordination protocols are common across programs that bridge health care and social services. Publications discussing these programs often provide limited detail on other key elements of care coordination, especially the nature of referrals and care coordinator caseload. Additional research is needed to document critical elements of program implementation and to evaluate program impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Michelle Albertson
- University of California Los Angeles Center for Health Policy Research, Health Economics and Evaluation Research Program, Los Angeles, California, USA.,University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Address correspondence to: Elaine Michelle Albertson, MPH, Department of Health Policy and Management, University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, 650 Charles Young Drive S, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Emmeline Chuang
- University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, Los Angeles, California, USA.,University of California Berkeley School of Social Welfare, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Brenna O'Masta
- University of California Los Angeles Center for Health Policy Research, Health Economics and Evaluation Research Program, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Isomi Miake-Lye
- University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, Los Angeles, California, USA.,VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Leigh Ann Haley
- University of California Los Angeles Center for Health Policy Research, Health Economics and Evaluation Research Program, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Nadereh Pourat
- University of California Los Angeles Center for Health Policy Research, Health Economics and Evaluation Research Program, Los Angeles, California, USA.,University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Terminations in Primary Care: a Retrospective Observational Study of 16 Primary Care Clinics. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:548-555. [PMID: 33948801 PMCID: PMC8858375 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-06793-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship between clinician and patient is the cornerstone of primary care. Breakdown and termination of this relationship are understudied yet important, undesirable outcomes. OBJECTIVE To better understand the nature and extent of provider and clinic termination of the primary care relationship. DESIGN Retrospective observational case-control study. SUBJECTS Adult patients in Eastern Massachusetts who received primary care at hospital- and community-based clinics and health centers participating in a practice-based research network between January 2013 and June 2017. MAIN MEASURES Formal termination by primary care physician (PCP), reasons for termination, independent predictors of termination based on mixed-effects logistic regression, and documentation of a new PCP after termination. KEY RESULTS We identified 158,192 patients who received primary care from 182 PCPs across 16 clinics. We found 536 cases of formal termination. Clinics ranged from 4 to 119 terminations per 10,000 patients (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]=0.21; 95% CI: 0.18-0.24). Patient age, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, relationship status, employment status, and insurance type were independent predictors of termination (e.g., compared to patients employed full-time, patients unemployed due to disability were more likely to be terminated [adjusted OR:9.26; 95% CI: 6.74-12.74]). The most common cause for termination (38%) was appointment "no-shows" with some PCPs/clinics found to enforce a policy of dismissal following three no-shows. At the time of chart review, 201 patients (38%) had no documentation of a new PCP. Among patients who re-established care within the network, 134 (25%) had a primary care visit within 6 months of termination. CONCLUSIONS Detailed chart review found that, unlike previous survey-based studies, dismissal was often for missed appointments based on enforcement of no-show policies. Many sociodemographic factors were associated with termination. Variability among clinics highlights the need for further research to better understand circumstances surrounding terminations, with the principal goals of improving patient-provider relationships and providing equitable care.
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Cohen AJ, Russell LE, Elwy AR, Mitchell KM, Cornell PY, Silva JW, Moy E, Kennedy MA. Adaptation of a social risk screening and referral initiative across clinical populations, settings, and contexts in the Department of Veterans Affairs Health System. FRONTIERS IN HEALTH SERVICES 2022; 2:958969. [PMID: 36925883 PMCID: PMC10012714 DOI: 10.3389/frhs.2022.958969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Identifying and addressing social risks and social needs in healthcare settings is an important step towards achieving health equity. Assessing Circumstances and Offering Resources for Needs (ACORN) is a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) social risk screening and referral model that aims to systematically identify and address social needs. Since initial piloting in 2018, our team has collaborated with clinical and operations partners to implement ACORN across multiple VA clinical settings while adapting and tailoring the initiative to meet the needs of different populations, specialties, and individuals administering screening. Given ACORN's complexity as a growing initiative with multiple partners and frequent real-time modifications within a large national healthcare system, we recognized a need to systematically document the rationale and process of adaptations over time. We looked to three implementation frameworks-RE-AIM, the Adaptome, and FRAME-to describe the rationale for adaptations, the nature of and context within which adaptations were made, and the details of each adaptation. In this manuscript, we uniquely interweave these three frameworks to document adaptations to ACORN across diverse VA clinical settings, with a focus on how adaptations support the promotion of heath equity in the Veteran population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia J Cohen
- Center of Innovation in Long Term Services and Supports, VA Providence Healthcare System, Providence, RI, United States.,Department of Family Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.,Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.,Office of Health Equity, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Lauren E Russell
- Office of Health Equity, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC, United States
| | - A Rani Elwy
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Kathleen M Mitchell
- New England Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States
| | - Portia Y Cornell
- Center of Innovation in Long Term Services and Supports, VA Providence Healthcare System, Providence, RI, United States.,Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Jennifer W Silva
- Department of Veterans Affairs, National Social Work Program Office, Care Management and Social Work, Patient Care Services, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Ernest Moy
- Office of Health Equity, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Meaghan A Kennedy
- New England Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States.,Department of Family Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Community and Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, United States
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Nohria R, Xiao N, Guardado R, Drainoni ML, Smith C, Nokes K, Byhoff E. Implementing Health Related Social Needs Screening in an Outpatient Clinic. J Prim Care Community Health 2022; 13:21501319221118809. [PMID: 35978539 PMCID: PMC9393584 DOI: 10.1177/21501319221118809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES Health-related social needs (HRSN) screening efforts have reported high rates of identified social needs. Little is known if efforts to conduct HRSN screening in resource-constrained federally-qualified health centers (FQHC) successfully captures a representative patient population. METHODS This cross-sectional study extracted EMR data from 2016 to 2020 for 4731 screened patients from 7 affiliated clinics of a FQHC. Unscreened patients were pulled as a random sample from the study period. A multivariable logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic traits, chronic disease diagnoses and burden, and clinic visit type and frequency associated with being screened for HRSN. RESULTS BHC screened 4731 unique patients or <1% of the total clinic population. Screened patients had a median of 3.3 (±2.5) unmet HRSN. Medicaid patients had higher odds of being screened (aOR = 1.38, CI 1.19-1.61) relative to Medicare patients. The odds of being screened for social needs increased with more provider visits per year: compared to fewer than 1 visit per year, patients with 1 to 3 provider visits (aOR = 2.06, CI 1.73-2.32), 4 to 6 provider visits (aOR = 3.34, CI 2.89-3.87), and more than 6 provider visits (aOR = 5.16, CI 4.35-6.12) all had higher odds of social needs screening. Patients with a higher comorbid disease burden (>2 conditions, aOR = 2.80, CI 2.07-3.79) had higher odds of screening. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate an increased likelihood to screen patients who visit outpatient services more often and have a higher comorbid disease burden. To meet state-level Medicaid requirements, resource-constrained FQHCs that implement clinic wide HRSN screening may be well served to identify a priori strategies to ensure representative and equitable screening across the patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raman Nohria
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nan Xiao
- Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Lawrence, MA, USA
| | | | - Mari-Lynn Drainoni
- Section of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Health Law, Policy & Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.,Evans Center for Implementation and Improvement Sciences, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cara Smith
- Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Lawrence, MA, USA
| | - Keith Nokes
- Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Lawrence, MA, USA.,Department of Family Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elena Byhoff
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
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35
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Fraze TK, Beidler LB, Fichtenberg C, Brewster AL, Gottlieb LM. Resource Brokering: Efforts to Assist Patients With Housing, Transportation, and Economic Needs in Primary Care Settings. Ann Fam Med 2021; 19:507-514. [PMID: 34750125 PMCID: PMC8575510 DOI: 10.1370/afm.2739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Clinicians and policy makers are exploring the role of primary care in improving patients' social conditions, yet little research examines strategies used in clinical settings to assist patients with social needs. METHODS Study used semistructured interviews with leaders and frontline staff at 29 diverse health care organizations with active programs used to address patients' social needs. Interviews focused on how organizations develop and implement case management-style programs to assist patients with social needs including staffing, assistance intensity, and use of referrals to community-based organizations (CBOs). RESULTS Organizations used case management programs to assist patients with social needs through referrals to CBOs and regular follow-up with patients. About one-half incorporated care for social needs into established case management programs and the remaining described standalone programs developed specifically to address social needs independent of clinical needs. Referrals were the foundation for assistance and included preprinted resource lists, patient-tailored lists, and warm handoffs to the CBOs. While all organizations referred patients to CBOs, some also provided more intense services such as assistance completing patients' applications for services or conducting home visits. Organizations described 4 operational challenges in addressing patients' social needs: (1) effectively engaging CBOs; (2) obtaining buy-in from clinical staff; (3) considering patients' perspectives; and (4) ensuring program sustainability. CONCLUSION As the US health care sector faces pressure to improve quality while managing costs, many health care organizations will likely develop or rely on case management approaches to address patients' social conditions. Health care organizations may require support to address the key operational challenges.Visual abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taressa K Fraze
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Laura B Beidler
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Caroline Fichtenberg
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Social Interventions Research & Evaluation Network, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Amanda L Brewster
- Division of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California
| | - Laura M Gottlieb
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Social Interventions Research & Evaluation Network, University of California, San Francisco, California
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Hahn-Goldberg S, Pariser P, Schwenk C, Boozary A. Opportunity to inform social needs within a hospital setting using data-driven patient engagement. BMJ Open Qual 2021; 10:bmjoq-2021-001540. [PMID: 34706871 PMCID: PMC8552177 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background High-risk patients account for a disproportionate amount of healthcare use, necessitating the development of care delivery solutions aimed specifically at reducing this use. These interventions have largely been unsuccessful, perhaps due to a lack of attention to patients’ social needs and engagement of patients in developing solutions. Methods The project team used a combination of administrative data, information culled from charts and interviews with high-risk patients to understand social needs, the current experience of addressing social needs in the hospital, and patient preferences and identified opportunities for improvement. Interviews were conducted in March and April 2020, and patients were asked to reflect on their experiences both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results A total of 4579 patients with 26 168 visits to the emergency department and 2904 inpatient admissions in the previous year were identified. Qualitative analysis resulted in three themes: (1) the interaction between social needs, demographics, and health; (2) the hospital’s role in addressing social needs; and (3) the impact of social needs on experiences of care. Themes related to experiences before and during COVID-19 did not differ. Three opportunities were identified: (1) training for staff related to stigma and trauma, (2) improved documentation of social needs and (3) creation of navigation programmes. Discussion Certain demographic factors were clearly associated with an increased need for social support. Unfortunately, many factors identified by patients as mediating their need for such support were not consistently captured. Going forward, high-risk patients should be included in the development of quality improvement initiatives and programmes to address social needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoshana Hahn-Goldberg
- OpenLab, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada .,Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pauline Pariser
- Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Colton Schwenk
- Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew Boozary
- Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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McBrien KA, Nguyen V, Garcia-Jorda D, Rondeau K, Polachek A, Kamran H, Lang E, Ghali W, Barnabe C, Braun T, McLane P, Milaney K, Ronksley PE, Salvalaggio G, Spackman E, Tang KL, Williamson T, Fabreau G. Connect 2 Care, a Novel Community Outreach Program for Vulnerably Housed Patients With High Acute Care Use: A Mixed-Methods Study Protocol. Front Public Health 2021; 9:605695. [PMID: 34692614 PMCID: PMC8531265 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.605695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Vulnerably housed individuals, especially those experiencing homelessness, have higher acute care use compared with the general population. Despite available primary care and social services, many face significant challenges accessing needed services. Connect 2 Care (C2C) is a novel transitional case management program that includes registered nurses and health navigators with complementary expertise in chronic disease management, mental health and addictions, social programs, community health, and housing, financial, transportation and legal resources. C2C bridges acute care and community services to improve care coordination. Methods and Analysis: We will perform a mixed-methods evaluation of the C2C program according to the Donabedian framework of structure, process and outcome, to understand how program structure and process, coupled with contextual factors, influence outcomes in a novel intervention. Eligible patients are homeless or unstably housed adults with complex health conditions and high acute care use. Change in emergency department visit rate 12-months after program enrolment is the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include 12-month post-enrolment hospital admissions, cumulative hospital days, health-related quality of life, housing status, primary care attachment and substance use. Qualitative methods will explore experiences with the C2C program from multiple perspectives and an economic evaluation will assess cost-effectiveness. Discussion: Academic researchers partnered with community service providers to evaluate a novel transitional case management intervention for vulnerably housed patients with high acute-care use. The study uses mixed-methods to evaluate the Connect 2 Care program according to the Donabedian framework of structure, process and outcome, including an assessment of contextual factors that influence program success. Insights gained through this comprehensive evaluation will help refine the C2C program and inform decisions about sustainability and transferability to other settings in Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry A McBrien
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Van Nguyen
- Calgary Urban Project Society, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Kimberly Rondeau
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Alicia Polachek
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Hasham Kamran
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Eddy Lang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - William Ghali
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Cheryl Barnabe
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ted Braun
- Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Katrina Milaney
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Paul E Ronksley
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Eldon Spackman
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Karen L Tang
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Tyler Williamson
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Gabriel Fabreau
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Gold R, Sheppler C, Hessler D, Bunce A, Cottrell E, Yosuf N, Pisciotta M, Gunn R, Leo M, Gottlieb L. Using Electronic Health Record-Based Clinical Decision Support to Provide Social Risk-Informed Care in Community Health Centers: Protocol for the Design and Assessment of a Clinical Decision Support Tool. JMIR Res Protoc 2021; 10:e31733. [PMID: 34623308 PMCID: PMC8538020 DOI: 10.2196/31733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Consistent and compelling evidence demonstrates that social and economic adversity has an impact on health outcomes. In response, many health care professional organizations recommend screening patients for experiences of social and economic adversity or social risks—for example, food, housing, and transportation insecurity—in the context of care. Guidance on how health care providers can act on documented social risk data to improve health outcomes is nascent. A strategy recommended by the National Academy of Medicine involves using social risk data to adapt care plans in ways that accommodate patients’ social risks. Objective This study’s aims are to develop electronic health record (EHR)–based clinical decision support (CDS) tools that suggest social risk–informed care plan adaptations for patients with diabetes or hypertension, assess tool adoption and its impact on selected clinical quality measures in community health centers, and examine perceptions of tool usability and impact on care quality. Methods A systematic scoping review and several stakeholder activities will be conducted to inform development of the CDS tools. The tools will be pilot-tested to obtain user input, and their content and form will be revised based on this input. A randomized quasi-experimental design will then be used to assess the impact of the revised tools. Eligible clinics will be randomized to a control group or potential intervention group; clinics will be recruited from the potential intervention group in random order until 6 are enrolled in the study. Intervention clinics will have access to the CDS tools in their EHR, will receive minimal implementation support, and will be followed for 18 months to evaluate tool adoption and the impact of tool use on patient blood pressure and glucose control. Results This study was funded in January 2020 by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health. Formative activities will take place from April 2020 to July 2021, the CDS tools will be developed between May 2021 and November 2022, the pilot study will be conducted from August 2021 to July 2022, and the main trial will occur from December 2022 to May 2024. Study data will be analyzed, and the results will be disseminated in 2024. Conclusions Patients’ social risk information must be presented to care teams in a way that facilitates social risk–informed care. To our knowledge, this study is the first to develop and test EHR-embedded CDS tools designed to support the provision of social risk–informed care. The study results will add a needed understanding of how to use social risk data to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/31733
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Gold
- Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, OR, United States.,OCHIN, Inc., Portland, OR, United States
| | - Christina Sheppler
- Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Danielle Hessler
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | | | | | - Nadia Yosuf
- Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, OR, United States
| | | | - Rose Gunn
- OCHIN, Inc., Portland, OR, United States
| | - Michael Leo
- Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Laura Gottlieb
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Chen J, Khazanchi R, Bearman G, Marcelin JR. Racial/Ethnic Inequities in Healthcare-associated Infections Under the Shadow of Structural Racism: Narrative Review and Call to Action. Curr Infect Dis Rep 2021; 23:17. [PMID: 34466126 PMCID: PMC8390539 DOI: 10.1007/s11908-021-00758-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of Review The purpose of this study is to review racial and ethnic inequities in the incidence and prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in the USA, identify gaps in the literature, and recommend future directions to mitigate these inequities. Recent Findings While some existing literature has identified the presence of racial/ethnic inequities in HAI incidence and outcomes, few studies to date have evaluated whether HAI prevention efforts have mitigated these inequities. Factors contributing to inequities in HAI prevention may include unconscious bias of healthcare professionals towards minoritized patients; socioeconomic and structural inequities disparately affecting minoritized communities; the racial segregation of quality healthcare through hospital price discrimination; divergent reimbursement rates between public and private insurers; policies or performance metrics which underfund and financially penalize safety-net hospitals; and insufficient research evaluating and addressing HAI inequities. Summary Expansion of the literature is needed to further interrogate root causes and evaluate the impact of interventions on racial/ethnic inequities in HAI incidence. Measures to mitigate inequities might include teaching healthcare workers how to recognize and mitigate unconscious biases, expanding community resources which address the social and structural determinants of health, increasing access to preventive health services, reforming federal and institutional policies to better support safety-net hospitals and disincentivize price discrimination, and improving diversity and inclusion within the health workforce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiabi Chen
- School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA USA
| | - Rohan Khazanchi
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE USA.,School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Gonzalo Bearman
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA USA
| | - Jasmine R Marcelin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE USA
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Ruiz Escobar E, Pathak S, Blanchard CM. Screening and Referral Care Delivery Services and Unmet Health-Related Social Needs: A Systematic Review. Prev Chronic Dis 2021; 18:E78. [PMID: 34387188 PMCID: PMC8388203 DOI: 10.5888/pcd18.200569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Unmet health-related social needs contribute to high patient morbidity and poor population health. A potential solution to improve population health includes the adoption of care delivery models that alleviate unmet needs through screening, referral, and tracking of patients in health care settings, yet the overall impact of such models has remained unexplored. This review addresses an existing gap in the literature regarding the effectiveness of these models and assesses their overall impact on outcomes related to experience of care, population health, and costs. Methods In March 2020, we searched for peer-reviewed articles published in PubMed over the past 10 years. Studies were included if they 1) used a screening tool for identifying unmet health-related social needs in a health care setting, 2) referred patients with positive screens to appropriate resources for addressing identified unmet health-related social needs, and 3) reported any outcomes related to patient experience of care, population health, or cost. Results Of 1,821 articles identified, 35 met the inclusion criteria. All but 1 study demonstrated a tendency toward high risk of bias. Improved outcomes related to experience of care (eg, change in social needs, patient satisfaction, n = 34), population health (eg, diet quality, blood cholesterol levels, n = 7), and cost (eg, program costs, cost-effectiveness, n = 3) were reported. In some studies (n = 5), improved outcomes were found among participants who received direct referrals or additional assistance with indirect referrals compared with those who received indirect referrals only. Conclusion Effective collaborations between health care organizations and community-based organizations are essential to facilitate necessary patient connection to resources for addressing their unmet needs. Although evidence indicated a positive influence of screening and referral programs on outcomes related to experience of care and population health, no definitive conclusions can be made on overall impact because of the potentially high risk of bias in the included studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Ruiz Escobar
- University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Shweta Pathak
- University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Center for Medication Optimization, 2400 Kerr Hall, 301 Pharmacy Ln, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7574.
| | - Carrie M Blanchard
- University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Sandhu S, Xu J, Eisenson H, Prvu Bettger J. Workforce Models to Screen for and Address Patients' Unmet Social Needs in the Clinic Setting: A Scoping Review. J Prim Care Community Health 2021; 12:21501327211021021. [PMID: 34053370 PMCID: PMC8772357 DOI: 10.1177/21501327211021021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives While healthcare organizations increasingly aim to address the social determinants of health (SDOH) in the clinic setting, there is little guidance on which staff are best equipped to assume this role. The present study is a scoping review of the peer-reviewed literature to characterize workforce models used to screen for and respond to patients’ unmet social needs in ambulatory settings. Methods Four online databases were used to identify papers published until February 2021. Eligible articles were original research studies or systematic reviews that described the implementation of a standardized assessment for multiple SDOH domains and resulting activities to respond to individual patient needs (eg, referral to community resources) in ambulatory care settings. Results Of the 1569 articles identified, 65 met study eligibility criteria. Majority of studies had observational study designs (11% were randomized control trials). For screening-related activities, more articles reported using traditional healthcare staff (51%), such as medical providers, medical assistants, and front-desk staff, than social care staff (32%), such as social workers and student volunteers. In contrast, for response-related activities, more articles reported using social care staff (88%) than traditional healthcare staff (60%). While we found wide variations in specific team configurations and training for the roles, social care staff generally provided more intensive forms of assistance than traditional healthcare staff. Conclusion While this review demonstrates the breadth of models for building or deploying a workforce to integrate health and social care, it also identifies the need for rigorous research on workforce development, implementation, and effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahil Sandhu
- Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jacqueline Xu
- Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Janet Prvu Bettger
- Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham NC, USA
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Sand KA. Linking Underserved Patients to Social Services Using the SScAR Tool. J Dr Nurs Pract 2021; 14:JDNP-D-20-00033. [PMID: 33975905 DOI: 10.1891/jdnp-d-20-00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The need to screen for social determinants of health (SDOH) is well documented in the literature. Addressing SDOH also requires linking patients to available social service resources. OBJECTIVE This Social Screen Assess and Refer (SScAR) Quality Improvement (QI) project purpose was threefold: (1) develop an agency specific tool to screen for SODH; (2) implement this tool in all new patient evaluations; and (3) provide referral to patients for necessary social services. METHODS The SScAR tool adapted questions from published screening tools and created new questions centered on available social services. A pilot study implemented the tool. Documentation of social needs before the pilot, SScAR utilization during the pilot, number of social needs, and referrals made were measured. RESULTS Documentation of SDOH screening significantly improved with the tool (α .05, χ2(1) = 21.85, p < .001). Follow-through referral to specific social resources only increased by 5%. CONCLUSIONS The SScAR is a feasible tool for identifying SDOH needs and creates a mechanism for linking patients with social services. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Future studies must measure social service referrals, utilization of social services, and the resulting impact on specific health outcomes such as blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, and cholesterol.
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Papajorgji-Taylor D, Francisco M, Schneider JL, Vaughn K, Lindberg N, Smith N, Fitzpatrick SL. Bridge to Health/ Puente a la Salud: Rationale and design of a pilot feasibility randomized trial to address diabetes self-management and unmet basic needs among racial/ethnic minority and low-income patients. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2021; 22:100779. [PMID: 34013093 PMCID: PMC8114052 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2021.100779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in diabetes prevalence and management persist. Unmet basic needs such as food insecurity and unstable housing interfere with optimal diabetes self-management. Bridge to Health/Puente a la Salud is a randomized pilot trial designed to examine the feasibility of testing the effectiveness of addressing unmet basic needs via navigation services versus navigation plus diabetes self-management support (DSMS) on improving diabetes-related outcomes among racial/ethnic minority and low-income patients with uncontrolled diabetes. Material and methods We recruited and randomized 110 African American, Hispanic, and Medicaid patients (any race/ethnicity) with diabetes and recent hemoglobin A1C ≥ 8% to one of two 6-month interventions: 1) Navigation only; or 2) Navigation + DSMS. In both arms, practice-embedded patient navigators help participants navigate social services and community-based resources to address unmet basic needs. In Navigation + DSMS, participants are also assigned to a community health worker (CHW) embedded in a local community-based organization who provides additional navigation support and delivers DSMS. A1C and unmet basic needs data are collected via routine lab and survey, respectively, at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Qualitative interviews with participants, health system leaders, CHWs, and patient navigators are conducted to explore intervention acceptability and determinants of implementation in a health care setting. Discussion Findings from this pilot feasibility study will enhance understanding about acceptability, preliminary clinical effectiveness, and facilitators and barriers to implementation of the Navigation only and Navigation + DSMS interventions and inform refinements of the overall study design for the larger, randomized clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dea Papajorgji-Taylor
- Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR, 97227, USA
| | - Melanie Francisco
- Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR, 97227, USA
| | - Jennifer L Schneider
- Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR, 97227, USA
| | - Katie Vaughn
- Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR, 97227, USA
| | - Nangel Lindberg
- Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR, 97227, USA
| | - Ning Smith
- Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR, 97227, USA
| | - Stephanie L Fitzpatrick
- Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR, 97227, USA
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Kreuter MW, Thompson T, McQueen A, Garg R. Addressing Social Needs in Health Care Settings: Evidence, Challenges, and Opportunities for Public Health. Annu Rev Public Health 2021; 42:329-344. [PMID: 33326298 PMCID: PMC8240195 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-090419-102204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
There has been an explosion of interest in addressing social needs in health care settings. Some efforts, such as screening patients for social needs and connecting them to needed social services, are already in widespread practice. These and other major investments from the health care sector hint at the potential for new multisector collaborations to address social determinants of health and individual social needs. This article discusses the rapidly growing body of research describing the links between social needs and health and the impact of social needs interventions on health improvement, utilization, and costs. We also identify gaps in the knowledge base and implementation challenges to be overcome. We conclude that complementary partnerships among the health care, public health, and social services sectors can build on current momentum to strengthen social safety net policies, modernize social services, and reshape resource allocation to address social determinants of health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W Kreuter
- The Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA; , , ,
| | - Tess Thompson
- The Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA; , , ,
| | - Amy McQueen
- The Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA; , , ,
- School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Rachel Garg
- The Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA; , , ,
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Kulie P, Steinmetz E, Johnson S, McCarthy ML. A health-related social needs referral program for Medicaid beneficiaries treated in an emergency department. Am J Emerg Med 2021; 47:119-124. [PMID: 33799141 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2021.03.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social determinants of health (SDH) play an important role in health outcomes. This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a SDH screening and health-related social needs (HRSNs) referral program in an emergency department (ED) setting with adult Medicaid beneficiaries. METHODS Between November 2016 and March 2017 we enrolled adult Medicaid patients in a prospective cohort study. Research assistants (RAs) completed an SDH screening survey with participants and asked them if they needed assistance with HRSNs related to medical, behavioral health, wellness, housing, food, legal and job training issues. RAs referred participants to community-based organizations (CBO) for their top three HRSNs. Patients referred to at least one CBO were phoned a month later to determine whether their HRSN was addressed and CBOs also reported their assistance rates within four months of the ED visit. RESULTS Of the 505 patients enrolled, 69% were female, 82% completed high school, and 57% reported working. Most participants (85%) requested assistance for at least one HRSN. Almost half (44%) received referrals to three different agencies. Help with housing (70%), medical issues (51%), and finding food (42%) were the most common. Among the 430 subjects referred to ≥1 agency, 76% completed the follow-up interview. Few patients reported receiving help from the referral agencies (5% for a wellness program to 15% for medical services). Referral agencies generally reported even lower assistance rates (0% for job training to 17% for medical services). CONCLUSION The majority of adult Medicaid patients treated in our ED wanted assistance with one or more HRSN. The passive referral system we implemented resulted in few patients receiving assistance from the referral agency, regardless of whether measured by self-report or by agency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige Kulie
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The George Washington University, Medical Faculty Associates, Washington, DC, United States of America.
| | - Erika Steinmetz
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Samuel Johnson
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
| | - Melissa L McCarthy
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
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46
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Nguyen KH, Trivedi AN, Cole MB. Receipt of Social Needs Assistance and Health Center Patient Experience of Care. Am J Prev Med 2021; 60:e139-e147. [PMID: 33309453 PMCID: PMC7931986 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Community health centers often screen for and address patients' unmet social needs. This study examines the degree to which community health center patients report receiving social needs assistance and compares measures of access and quality between patients who received assistance versus similar patients who did not. METHODS A nationally representative sample of 4,699 nonelderly adults receiving care at community health centers from the 2014-2015 Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Patient Survey was used, representing 12.6 million patients. The exposure-having "received social needs assistance"-was based on whether a patient received any community health center assistance accessing social programs (e.g., applying for government benefits) or basic needs (e.g., obtaining transportation, housing, food). Using logistic regression models with inverse probability of treatment weights, outcomes for patients who received social needs assistance with similar patients who did not were compared. Study outcomes, reported as absolute adjusted differences, included reporting a community health center as a usual source of care, reporting the emergency department as a usual source of care, perceived quality of care, and willingness to recommend the community health center to others. Data were analyzed in 2020. RESULTS Of the sample, 36% reported receiving social needs assistance, where the most common form of assistance was applying for government benefits. Relative to similar patients who did not receive social needs assistance, patients receiving assistance were significantly more likely to report a community health center as their usual source of care (adjusted difference=7.2 percentage points, 95% CI=2.2, 12.1) and to report perceived quality of care as "the best" (adjusted difference=11.1, 95% CI=5.4, 16.9). They were significantly less likely to report the emergency department as their usual source of care (adjusted difference= -4.2, 95% CI= -7.0, -1.3). CONCLUSIONS As community health centers and other providers consider providing social needs assistance to patients, these results suggest that doing so may be associated with improved access to and quality of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin H Nguyen
- Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
| | - Amal N Trivedi
- Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island; Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Megan B Cole
- Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
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47
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Fitzpatrick SL, Banegas MP, Kimes TM, Papajorgji-Taylor D, Fuoco MJ. Prevalence of Unmet Basic Needs and Association with Diabetes Control and Care Utilization Among Insured Persons with Diabetes. Popul Health Manag 2021; 24:463-469. [PMID: 33535008 DOI: 10.1089/pop.2020.0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Unmet basic needs (eg, food insecurity, inadequate housing) are major barriers to diabetes self-management. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of unmet basic needs and examine the association with diabetes control and care utilization among insured persons with diabetes. A total of 4043 adult patients with diabetes were screened for unmet basic needs using Your Current Life Situation, a screener for unmet basic needs, during a clinical encounter or as an online survey, during the study period (January 1, 2016-August 31, 2017). Hemoglobin A1c and care utilization (outpatient, emergency department [ED], hospitalization, diabetes-related prescription refills) were extracted from the electronic health record 12 months prior to screening. The authors compared patients with unmet basic needs to those with no needs on poor diabetes control (ie, A1c ≥8%) and care utilization using multivariable regression models. Of the 4043 patients screened, 25% endorsed ≥1 unmet basic need. In adjusted analyses, the presence of unmet basic needs was associated with an increased likelihood of having an A1c ≥8% (OR = 1.77; 95% CI 1.47, 2.13), more outpatient visits (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.3; 1.2, 1.4), more ED visits (IRR = 2.3; 2.0, 2.6), more hospitalizations (IRR = 1.8; 1.5, 2.2), and more delays in refilling diabetes medication (IRR = 1.21; 1.13, 1.30). Findings indicate that unmet basic needs are highly prevalent, even among an insured patient population, and are associated with poor diabetes-related clinical outcomes and excess utilization. Future studies to determine best strategies to integrate this information into treatment planning are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Teresa M Kimes
- Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, Oregon, USA
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48
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Xu S, Goodrich GK, Moore KR, Manson SM, Gottlieb LM, Hessler D, Schroeder EB, Steiner JF. Identifying Relative Changes in Social Risk Factors: An Analytic Approach. Med Care 2021; 59:e9-e15. [PMID: 33165148 PMCID: PMC9140194 DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals often report concurrent social risk factors such as food insecurity, unstable housing, and transportation barriers. Comparing relative changes between pairs of social risk factors may identify those that are more resistant to change. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to develop a method to describe relative changes in pairs of social risk factors. RESEARCH DESIGN This was a prospective cohort study. SUBJECTS Participants in a randomized controlled trial of hypertension care in an Urban Indian Health Organization. MEASURES We measured 7 social risk factors (housing, transportation, food, clothing, health care, utilities, and debts) at enrollment, 6, and 12 months among 295 participants in the trial. We hypothesized that pairwise comparisons could identify social risk factors that were less likely to change over time. We used conditional odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to rank each pair. RESULTS Food, clothing, health care, utilities, and debts had more changes between 0 and 6 months relative to housing (OR=2.3, 3.4, 4.7, 3.5, and 3.4, respectively; all 95% CI excluded 1.0). These same social risk factors also had more changes between baseline and 6 months relative to transportation (OR=2.8, 3.4, 4.9, 4.7, and 4.1, respectively; all 95% CI excluded 1.0). Changes in housing and transportation risk factors were comparable (OR=0.7, 95% CI: 0.4-1.4). Relative changes between 6 and 12 months were similar. CONCLUSIONS Housing and transportation exhibited fewer relative changes than other social risk factors and might be more resistant to change. Awareness of the relationships between social risk factors can help define priorities for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley Xu
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA
| | | | - Kelly R. Moore
- Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Spero M. Manson
- Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Laura M. Gottlieb
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA
| | - Danielle Hessler
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA
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Samuels-Kalow ME, Boggs KM, Cash RE, Herrington R, Mick NW, Rutman MS, Venkatesh AK, Zabbo CP, Sullivan AF, Hasegawa K, Zachrison KS, Camargo CA. Screening for Health-Related Social Needs of Emergency Department Patients. Ann Emerg Med 2020; 77:62-68. [PMID: 33160720 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2020.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE There has been increasing attention to screening for health-related social needs. However, little is known about the screening practices of emergency departments (EDs). Within New England, we seek to identify the prevalence of ED screening for health-related social needs, understand the factors associated with screening, and understand how screening patterns for health-related social needs differ from those for violence, substance use, and mental health needs. METHODS We analyzed data from the 2018 National Emergency Department Inventory-New England survey, which was administered to all 194 New England EDs during 2019. We used descriptive statistics to compare ED characteristics by screening practices, and multivariable logistic regression models to identify factors associated with screening. RESULTS Among the 166 (86%) responding EDs, 64 (39%) reported screening for at least one health-related social need, 160 (96%) for violence (including intimate partner violence or other violent exposures), 148 (89%) for substance use disorder, and 159 (96%) for mental health needs. EDs reported a wide range of social work resources to address identified needs, with 155 (93%) reporting any social worker availability and 41 (27%) reporting continuous availability. CONCLUSION New England EDs are screening for health-related social needs at a markedly lower rate than for violence, substance use, and mental health needs. EDs have relatively limited resources available to address health-related social needs. We encourage research on the development of scalable solutions for identifying and addressing health-related social needs in the ED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret E Samuels-Kalow
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
| | - Krislyn M Boggs
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Rebecca E Cash
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Ramsey Herrington
- Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
| | - Nathan W Mick
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME
| | - Maia S Rutman
- Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH
| | - Arjun K Venkatesh
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | | | - Ashley F Sullivan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Kohei Hasegawa
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Kori S Zachrison
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Carlos A Camargo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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50
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Molina MF, Li CN, Manchanda EC, White B, Faridi MK, Espinola JA, Ashworth H, Ciccolo G, Camargo CA, Samuels-Kalow M. Prevalence of Emergency Department Social Risk and Social Needs. West J Emerg Med 2020; 21:152-161. [PMID: 33207161 PMCID: PMC7673900 DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2020.7.47796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Social risks, or adverse social conditions associated with poor health, are prevalent in emergency department (ED) patients, but little is known about how the prevalence of social risk compares to a patient’s reported social need, which incorporates patient preference for intervention. The goal of this study was to describe the relationship between social risk and social need, and identify factors associated with differential responses to social risk and social need questions. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with 48 hours of time-shift sampling in a large urban ED. Consenting patients completed a demographic questionnaire and assessments of social risk and social need. We applied descriptive statistics to the prevalence of social risk and social need, and multivariable logistic regression to assess factors associated with social risk, social need, or both. Results Of the 269 participants, 100 (37%) reported social risk, 83 (31%) reported social need, and 169 (63%) reported neither social risk nor social need. Although social risk and social need were significantly associated (p < 0.01), they incompletely overlapped. Over 50% in each category screened positive in more than one domain (eg, housing instability, food insecurity). In multivariable models, those with higher education (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.44 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.24–0.80]) and private insurance (aOR 0.50 [95% CI, 0.29–0.88]) were less likely to report social risk compared to those with lower education and state/public insurance, respectively. Spanish-speakers (aOR 4.07 [95% CI, 1.17–14.10]) and non-Hispanic Black patients (aOR 5.00 [95% CI, 1.91–13.12]) were more likely to report social need, while those with private insurance were less likely to report social need (private vs state/public: aOR 0.13 [95% CI, 0.07–0.26]). Conclusion Approximately one-third of patients in a large, urban ED screened positive for at least one social risk or social need, with over half in each category reporting risk/need across multiple domains. Different demographic variables were associated with social risk vs social need, suggesting that individuals with social risks differ from those with social needs, and that screening programs should consider including both assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie F Molina
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Caitlin N Li
- Boston Children's Hospital, Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Emily C Manchanda
- Boston Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Benjamin White
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mohammad K Faridi
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Janice A Espinola
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Gia Ciccolo
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Carlos A Camargo
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Margaret Samuels-Kalow
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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