Screening Patients for Non-Medical Needs Is Valuable Even When Clinicians Cant Resolve Identified Needs [Video]

During a recent medical appointment, you may have been asked a series of questions about your access to food, housing, or transportation. These questions stem from a growing recognition of the significant impact non-medical factors have on health and the crucial role medical providers can play in addressing these needs. Regulatory, financing, and standard-setting organizations like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are increasingly requiring medical care providers to screen patients for non-medical needs in an effort to improve health outcomes. Some providers are assisting patients in accessing non-medical services based on these screenings. However, there is debate over the effectiveness of this practice when resources are not provided following the screenings. 

Research indicates that there are benefits for both patients and providers from screening for non-medical needs. This commentary offers a high-level overview of research on this topic. The Social Integration Research and Evaluation Network at the University of California, San Francisco, maintains a searchable resource hub with dozens of studies on this …