Capturing value in social health: Lessons in developing the business case for social health integration in primary care

Issue: The integration of social health interventions, including screening patients for unmet social needs and linking them with services and other supports, requires long-term funding. Securing this funding requires a clear articulation of the value of such interventions that is supported by data. Goals: To develop a practical approach for business case analysis to support the spread and sustainability of social health interventions in varied institutional and market settings. Methods: Analysis of findings from the Health Leads Collaborative to Advance Social Health Integration (CASHI), in which 12 primary care teams from across the country received coaching to develop business cases for their social health interventions. Key Findings: The analysis provided insights into cost drivers of social health interventions, opportunities for efficiencies, and approaches to spreading these interventions to new sites or populations. Conclusion: Quantifying the financial benefits of social health integration helped institutions see how they could succeed under value-based contracts.