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Building an evidence base for integration of social care into health care: Our collective path ahead

A.J. Cohen, E.H. De Marchis
Ann Fam Med

As adverse social determinants of health are increasingly recognized for their role in perpetuating health inequities and poor health outcomes, there are growing efforts to integrate social care (ie, activities to identify, assist with, and adjust for social risk factors) into health care. Numerous professional societies have called for screening and intervening on patients’ social risks. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the urgency of social care as many patients face new or intensified socioeconomic hardship. Amidst accelerating social care integration efforts, collaboration among researchers, policy makers, payers, and health care systems is needed as the drive to implement outpaces the evidence.

Cohen AJ, De Marchis EH. Building an evidence base for integration of social care into health care: Our collective path ahead. Ann Fam Med. 2021;19(4):290 LP - 292. doi:10.1370/afm.2720

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