Preparing future physicians to address the social needs of patients in their daily clinical practice: An interactive workshop

INTRODUCTION: Despite the growing emphasis on social determinants of health (SDH) education in medical schools, clinicians still infrequently screen for and address SDH. We developed an interactive and skills-focused workshop to enhance medical students' confidence and ability to address SDH. 

METHODS: Preclerkship medical students engaged in a 90-minute workshop. The workshop offered a case-based didactic and a small-group patient interview simulation experience to foster students' ability to employ validated SDH screening tools, devise management plans, connect patients to social workers and resources, and document SDH using diagnostic codes. Pre-, post-, and 1-year follow-up surveys were administered to assess the efficacy of this intervention. 

RESULTS: Twenty-five students (58.3% first-year students; 70.8% female) completed pre- and postsurveys; 24 completed the follow-up survey. Students found the workshop engaging and particularly valued the small-group simulation and education on social workers and SDH documentation (>85% positive ratings). Postworkshop, students showed improved knowledge, confidence, and attitudes toward addressing SDH (P < .0001, effect size > 0.85), with a sustained increase in confidence and frequency of SDH screening after 1 year (P < .05). Qualitative feedback confirmed greater attention to SDH and biases in patient care and increased appreciation for social workers, but also highlighted a need for increased opportunity for continued reinforcement and applied learning. 

DISCUSSION: A simulation-based workshop can provide an easily scalable method to equip medical students with the practical skills needed to address SDH in clinical practice. Its low logistical requirements make it well suited for institution-wide adoption across large academic institutions.