@article {Veldheer2784, author = {Susan Veldheer and Kenneth Houser and Brianna Hoglen and Andrea Hobkirk and Michael Hayes and William Curry and Sophia Allen}, title = {{\textquotedblleft}If they{\textquoteright}re going to ask the questions, they need to address concerns{\textquotedblright}: Clinical screening for social determinants of health}, volume = {20}, number = {Supplement 1}, elocation-id = {2784}, year = {2022}, doi = {10.1370/afm.20.s1.2784}, publisher = {The Annals of Family Medicine}, abstract = {Context: The National Academy of Medicine endorses screening for social determinants of health (SDoH); however, questions remain on how providers and/or hospitals should address SDoH once collected.Objective: To gather patient perspectives on provider obligations when collecting SDoH data in cancer treatment settings.Study design: For this mixed-methods study, participants reviewed the Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients{\textquoteright} Assets, Risk, and Experiences (PRAPARE) and completed individual qualitative interviews that were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded by 3 coders (Cohen{\textquoteright}s Kappa \> 0.85).Population studied: Cancer patients (n=21) in the Penn State Cancer Institute catchment area.Outcome measures: Primary outcome included clinical obligations after collecting SDoH data.Results: Participants were 50\% F, 86\% white, with a mean age of 52.5. 33\% were in current cancer treatment. Collectively, gathering SDoH was considered beneficial to cancer treatment outcomes but clinicians should acknowledge individual circumstances. They stated, {\textquotedblleft}...I just think if they{\textquoteright}re going to ask the questions, they need to address concerns. Yeah. That{\textquoteright}s my biggest thing. If you{\textquoteright}re going to ask the question, then you need to acknowledge it with the patient{\textellipsis} And don{\textquoteright}t just do it to put it in the chart and never talk about it.{\textquotedblright} Resources advocated for included access to food, housing, and transportation. {\textquotedblleft}{\textellipsis}Find out what resources they would be eligible for, what can help them get back and forth to appointments, co-pay issues{\textellipsis}.because they{\textquoteright}re out there... we need to pull them and implement them.{\textquotedblright} This emphasizes the need for clinicians to act on information shared by patients. Participants also noted that stress and emotional well-being are critical considerations while undergoing cancer treatment. They noted, {\textquotedblleft}I would feel more comfortable if they would acknowledge my emotional status.{\textquotedblright} Further, {\textquotedblleft}It{\textquoteright}s been proven that stress can bring on cancer and it can make the cancers worse{\textellipsis} If you{\textquoteright}re stressed because you don{\textquoteright}t have food or you don{\textquoteright}t have transportation or you can{\textquoteright}t pay your bills, it{\textquoteright}s hurting your treatment.{\textquotedblright}Conclusions: The presence of SDoH, such as elevated levels of stress and compromised emotional well-being, reinforce the value of access to supportive care services during cancer treatment. Well-designed SDoH surveys should include questions that are both actionable and tied to resources that address a patient{\textquoteright}s most pressing social needs.}, issn = {1544-1709}, URL = {https://www.annfammed.org/content/20/Supplement_1/2784}, eprint = {https://www.annfammed.org/content/20/Supplement_1/2784.full.pdf}, journal = {The Annals of Family Medicine} }