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- Page navigation anchor for RE: Journal Club discussion on "How are primary care systems engaging with social needs"RE: Journal Club discussion on "How are primary care systems engaging with social needs"
Social determinants of health (SDOH) have been shown to have a significant impact on patient outcomes. Many studies including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have identified key SDOH issues including access to food, housing, utilities, transportation, and interpersonal violence. However, there is not much information on the steps taken to address these challenges for patients. The goal of this study was to gain insight on strategies to limit barriers to health care by evaluating the characteristics of different case management modalities used to address the social needs of patients. The authors of the study used web searches and the National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems (NSHOS) to select sites with active social care programs and that were diverse in terms of ownership, structure, geographic location, and urbanicity. The authors conducted interviews with various leaders and staff members to determine the different characteristics of each social care program.
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In total, this qualitative study included twenty-eight primary care centered organizations with a broad geographic representation across the United States of America. Social care models were separated into “embedded” and “standalone” categories based on whether social needs were addressed in the context of clinical care or if social needs were addressed independent of clinical activities. “Embedded” models typically involved the use of in-house staffing when taking care of p...Competing Interests: None declared.