December/January Research Round-Up

Research Articles

Web-based and mHealth Interventions for Intimate Partner Violence Victimization Prevention: A Systematic Review
E.J. Anderson, K.C. Krause, C. Meyer Krause, et al.
Trauma Violence Abuse
This systematic review of web-based and mobile health (mHealth) interventions targeting IPV victimization found limited evidence that mHealth interventions better addressed population needs than conventional interventions.

A Logic Framework for Evaluating Social Determinants of Health Interventions in Primary Care
S.S. Coughlin, P. Mann, M. Vernon, et al.
Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy
The authors describe a logic framework developed as part of an RCT evaluation of the effectiveness of a social determinants of health intervention aimed at adult, at-risk, African American primary care clinic patients.

Primary Care Physicians’ Role in Coordinating Medical and Health-Related Social Needs in Eleven Countries
M.M. Doty, R. Tikkanen, A. Shah, & E. C. Schneirder
Health Affairs
This 11-country survey identified the following major challenges to coordinating patient care with social services: the lack of a referral system, inadequate staffing, and the lack of follow-up from social service providers.

Assessing the Completeness and Comparability of Outcomes in Systematic Reviews Addressing Food Security: Protocol for a Methodological Study
S. Durão, M. Visser, T. Kredo, & I.J. Saldanha
Systematic Reviews
Description of a protocol focused on (1) describing outcomes reported in systematic reviews of interventions designed to improve food security in low- and middle-income countries (2) assessing the completeness of outcome pre-specification in these reviews, and (3) assessing the comparability of outcome elements across reviews reporting the same outcome domains.

Health Care Hotspotting - A Randomized, Controlled Trial
A. Finkelstein, A. Zhou, S. Taubman, & J. Doyle
The New England Journal of Medicine
This RCT found that the Camden Coalition’s much publicized care management program for medically and socially complex patients did not reduce 180-day readmission rates compared to usual care. Also see comments and reactions from study author Amy Finklestein, Camden Coalition’s CEO Kathleen Noonan, and other authors (New York Times, NYT The Upshot, and the Tradeoffs podcast.)

From Policy Statement to Practice: Integrating Social Needs Screening and Referral Assistance with Community Health Workers in an Urban Academic Health Center
K. Fiori, M. Patel, D. Sanderson, et al.
Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
This article describes implementation of a new social risk screening and referral support program using community health workers (CHWs) at an academic pediatric clinic.

Patient Perspectives on Addressing Social Needs in Primary Care Using a Screening and Resource Referral Intervention
C. Hsu, S. Cruz, H. Placzek, et al.
Journal of General Internal Medicine
This study of patient perspectives on the Health Leads model (social needs assistance provided by trained volunteers) found that patients especially appreciated the follow-up and feeling listened to and cared for.

The Social Cure of Social Prescribing: A Mixed-Methods Study on the Benefits of Social Connectedness on Quality and Effectiveness of Care Provision
B. Kellezi, J.R.H. Wakefield, C. Stevenson, et al.
BMJ Open
This study identifies mechanisms through which social prescribing models address the consequences of social isolation and reduce primary care use.

Association of Care Management Intensity with Healthcare Utilization in an All-condition Care Management Program
H.S. Lalani, P.L. Ephraim, A. Apfel, et al.
American Journal of Managed Care
In this evaluation of an MCO-led care management program involving case managers and CHWs, preprogram trajectories of healthcare utilization rates among patients increased rather than decreased after program implementation, especially among patients receiving the highest care management program intensity.

Examining the Impact of Medical Legal Partnerships in Improving Outcomes on the HIV Care Continuum: Rationale, Design and Methods
M. Muñoz-Laboy, O. Martinez, R. Davison, I. Fernandez
BMC Health Services Research
This study protocol describes an ongoing mixed-methods study incorporating institutional case studies and Intervention Mapping to build an HIV-specific medical legal partnership model.

Associations Between Social Factor Documentation and Hospital Length of Stay and Readmission Among Children
M.S. Pantell, S.V. Kaiser, J.M. Torres, L.M. Gottlieb, & N.E. Adler
Hospital Pediatrics
Using data from the National Readmissions Database, the authors found that ICD social code documentation was associated with prolonged length of stay and readmission in pediatric hospitalizations, but the codes are infrequently documented.

Patients' Attitudes and Perceptions Regarding Social Needs Screening and Navigation: Multi-site Survey in a Large Integrated Health System
A.J. Rogers, C. Hamity, A.L. Sharp, A.H. Jackson, & A.B. Schickedanz
Journal of General Internal Medicine
Adult primary care patients surveyed in this multi-site trial agreed that social needs impact health and that their health system should ask about and help address social needs. Differences by social need history, gender, age, race, and ethnicity were observed.

Impact of a Low-Intensity Resource Referral Intervention on Patients’ Knowledge, Beliefs, and Use of Community Resources: Results from the CommunityRx Trial
E.L. Tung, E.M. Abramsohn, K. Boyd, et al.
Journal of General Internal Medicine
In this real-world controlled clinical trial, participants who received tailored health and social resource lists reported improved knowledge and positive beliefs about community resources for self-management of health and reported greater use of resources.

Food Insecurity Screening Among Families of Children with Diabetes
M. Vitale, L. Dorado, V. Pais, S. Sidani, & E. Gucciardi
Diabetes Spectrum
In semi-structured interviews, families screened for food insecurity in a pediatric diabetes clinic by diabetes dietitian educators reported comfort answering questions and appreciated the opportunity to express their concerns and learn about affordable food resources although they also described concerns about stigma and fear of judgment by clinicians.

Reports & Commentaries

From Outcomes to Impact: An Exploratory Model for Estimating the Health Returns of Comprehensive Community Development
Build Healthy Places Network
This research brief describes a working ROI model as a starting point for estimating the health returns of community development investments. The authors apply this model to a large scale community development investment addressing multiple social determinants of health and estimate potential health returns.

Untangling the Relationship between Social Service and Health Care Spending and Health Outcomes
E.H. Bradley & A. Brewster
Health Affairs Blog
Authors of popular publications on the links between the ratio of health to social spending and health outcomes discuss how findings from a recent paper by Papanicolas et al. complement rather than contradict previous studies.

Medicaid Social Risk Adjustment in Oregon: A Stakeholder Analysis
R. Edelson & C. Hood-Ronick
The Oregon Primary Care Association
This issue brief highlights a set of key principles heard across partners in the Oregon Medicaid system to consider as the state defines and develops its risk adjustment methodology.

The Food and Nutrition Services Bundle: Findings From a Pilot Project
Z. Hennessey, M. Mclean, L. Haynes, A. Burlett, S. Jean-Louis, & A. Liu
Public Health Solutions
This report describes implementation of a screening and electronic platform-based referral and navigation program enabling network partners across multiple health and social service settings to share information and coordinate care for food insecure participants. 92% of submitted referrals had a documented referral outcome; 60% of participants screened were enrolled in one or more food and nutrition services.

A Survey of Basic Resource Needs in KP Members Receiving Subsidized Insurance Coverage: How Do They Think Kaiser Permanente Should Support Their Needs?
L. Tuzzio, C. Walsh-Bailey, J.F. Steiner, C. Lewis, & A.L. Sharp
Social Needs Network for Evaluation and Translation (SONNET)
This report summarizes findings from a survey of 1,000 Kaiser Permanente members who receive subsidized insurance. Over 60% of surveyed members reported at least one unmet need and more than half wanted help with basic resource needs from their healthcare provider. Patient suggestions included the provision of financial resources for transportation, food, and medical care.

Outside the Hospital Walls: An Update on Essential Hospitals’ Efforts to Improve the Health of Their Communities
M. White, D. Roseman, B. Roberson, & K. Ramiah
Essential Hospitals Institute
This cumulative report highlights both the successes and remaining opportunities to advance social determinants of health work at essential hospitals.