Identifying and addressing social needs in primary care settings

Should our primary care practice screen for social needs? Social determinants of health (SDOH) are widely recognized as having an important impact on health and mortality, and there is now strong evidence of the benefits of addressing people’s unmet social needs.For example, ensuring access to healthy foods and providing supportive housing for people facing homelessness have been found to lower healthcare utilization and costs. In addition, there is emerging evidence that screening for and attempting to address unmet needs within a primary care setting can improve patient health.