Social Determinants of Health in Practice: What It Takes to Move From Data to Action
Two programs in Houston, Texas, are working to address social determinants of health by identifying patients' social needs and connecting them with resources. The programs show promise in reducing emergency department revisits and improving connections to resources.
Two programs in Houston, Texas, are addressing social determinants of health. Ben Taub General Hospital's Patient Discharge Initiative screens emergency department patients for social needs using a 5-15 minute screening tool. The most utilized resources are food security assistance, transportation, and Harris County's financial assistance program. Link Health embeds patient navigators in federally qualified health centers to connect patients with unclaimed public benefits. The programs demonstrate the potential to reduce emergency department revisits and improve connections to resources. By leveraging community-aligned staffing and sub-2-minute screenings, Link Health converts unclaimed benefits into household resources.
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