Identifying social risk and needs in health care: Promising approaches to screening for social determinants of health & recommendations for continued exploration

This is the first in a series of issue briefs from the National Alliance to impact the Social Determinants of Health (NASDOH) designed to address key issues and advance our national efforts to address social determinants of health. Addressing social determinants of health requires a complex and coordinated cross-sector effort that begins in communities, but spans the entire nation. Foundational to any such effort is the identification of social risk through screening tools, which is the subject of this first brief. Future briefs will discuss how to act upon social risk data (e.g., what capacities must be developed with the health care system, within the social care system, and at a more holistic community level), and how to integrate the systems and processes for addressing social determinants across care settings.