March 2024 Research Round-Up

Below is a list of recently published research related to integrating social and medical care (and in some cases we have provided summaries of the results). See more articles like these in the searchable SIREN Evidence Library. As always, if you are aware of resources you think should be added to the Evidence Library, please send them our way!

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Awareness

Feasibility of Using Text Messaging to Identify and Assist Patients with Hypertension with Health-Related Social Needs: Cross-Sectional Study Kormanis A, Quinones S, Obermiller C, Denizard-Thompson N, Palakshappa D | JMIR

Among 200 randomly selected patients, only 8.5% completed an SMS text message-based social needs questionnaire. SMS text messaging may not be feasible as a single screening modality.

Lay Healthcare Worker Financial Toxicity Intervention: A Pilot Financial Toxicity Screening and Referral Program Parikh DA, Rodriguez GM, Ragavan M, et al. | Supportive Care in Cancer

Toward Standardization, Harmonization, and Integration of Social Determinants of Health Data: A Texas Clinical and Translational Science Award Institutions Collaboration Craven CK, Highfield L, Basit M, et al. | Journal of Clinical and Translational Science

Disparities in Patient Family Social Determinants of Health in a Large Urban Pediatric Health System Williams S, Hill K, Mathew MS, Messiah SE | Journal of Pediatric Health Care

Respondents who were non-white, non-English speakers, and users of public insurance had higher odds of reporting almost all social risks.

In-person Versus Electronic Screening for Social Risks Among Carers of Pediatric Inpatients: A Mixed Methods Randomized Trial Smithers LG, MacPhail C, Chan L, Downes M, Neadley K, Boyd M | European Journal of Pediatrics

Differences in the disclosure of social risks according to self- versus assisted completion were small. Most carers expressed a preference for self-completion.

Assistance

A Collaboration Team to Build Social Service Partnerships Within a Safety-net Health System Carson SL, Cameron F, Lee D, et al. | BMC Public Health

Leveraging Student Volunteers to Connect Patients with Social Risk to Resources on a Coordinated Care Platform: A Case Study with Two Endocrinology Clinics Lee G, Liu R, McPeek Hinz ER, Bettger JP, Purakal J, Spratt SE | International Journal of Integrated Care

The Role of an Early Childhood Community Health Worker in Addressing Psycho-Social Needs in the Perinatal and Early Childhood Period Moheize S, Hsu M, Matiz LA, et al. | Journal of Primary Care & Community Health

Advancing Health Equity Through Issue Spotting in Primary Care: A Case for Medical-Legal Partnerships Moss KJ, Bondurant J, Gievers L, Mutrie L | Journal of Pediatric Health Care

Intensity and Variation of Health Navigator Support: Addressing Medical and Social Needs of Diabetes Patients in East Oakland Peek ME, Tanumihardjo JP, O'Neal Y, et al. | Journal of General Internal Medicine

Support given to meet patients’ medical and social needs varied substantially depending on patient needs.

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Improve Unmet Social Needs and Clinical Outcomes Among Adults with Diabetes Patel MR, Zhang G, Heisler M, et al. | Journal of General Internal Medicine

Access to a patient-facing social-needs screening, feedback, and skills training website was not associated with improvements in HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, or social needs.

Food interventions

Food Insecurity in Pediatric HIV: Understanding a Critical Challenge in the United States Johnson KA, Owens C, Edelson HC, et al. | AIDS Care

"We're Trained to Survive.": Veterans' Experiences Seeking Food Assistance Kamdar N, Haltom T, Epshteyn G, et al. | Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved

"Food Is Medicine" Strategies for Nutrition Security and Cardiometabolic Health Equity: JACC State-of-the-Art Review Mozaffarian D, Aspry KE, Garfield K, et al. | Journal of the American College of Cardiology

Caregiver Preferences for Primary Care Clinic-Based Food Assistance: A Discrete Choice Experiment Vasan A, Negro D, Yazdani M, et al. | Academic pediatrics

Medically Tailored Meals to Address the Health Consequences of Food Insecurity Berkowitz SA, Terranova J | New England Journal of Medicine

Commentaries & Blogs 

Perspective: Leveraging Electronic Health Record Data within Food is Medicine Program Evaluation: Considerations and Potential Paths Forward Long CR, Yaroch AL, Byker Shanks C, et al. | Advances in Nutrition

Catalyzing Restructure of a Broken Health Care System Breathett K, Manning KD | Circulation

The Role of Primary Care in the Social Isolation and Loneliness Epidemic Mullen RA, Tong ST, Lum HD, Stephens KA, Krist AH | Annals of Family Medicine

Meeting the Health and Social Needs of America's Unhoused and Housing-Unstable Populations: A Position Paper from the American College of Physicians Serchen J, Hilden DR, Beachy MW; Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians | Annals of Internal Medicine

Social Determinants of Health and Cancer Care: An ASCO Policy Statement Tucker-Seeley R, Abu-Khalaf M, Bona K, et al. | JCO Oncology Practice

Issue Briefs and Reports

Lessons from the Field: How Health Care and Homeless Service Providers Partner for Action Anthony S | California Health Care Foundation and Center for Health Care Strategies