CHAMP faculty and co-directors along with other members of the CHAMP team investigated if social risk screening in the US has changed over time with their new article recently published in JAMA Network Open. This cross sectional study found that in 2022, 27% of physician practices reported systematically screening patients for 5 common social risks, a significant increase from 15% in 2017. The investigators used a repeated cross-sectional approach using results from the National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems (NSHOS II). Their findings would suggest that social risk screening by physician practices increased substantially from 2017 to 2022, with similar increases across different types of practices. However, there is room for growth and further study as many primary care practices still do not implement consistent social risk screening and it remains to be seen how and if practices use the information they get from screenings to help improve patient health by adjusting health care or referring patients for assistance with social needs.
January 3, 2025