Building an Evidence Base for Integration of Social Care Into Health Care: Our Collective Path Ahead

Abstract

s adverse social determinants of health are increasingly recognized for their role in perpetuating health inequities and poor health outcomes, there are growing efforts to integrate social care (ie, activities to identify, assist with, and adjust for social risk factors) into health care. [1][2][3][4][5] Numerous professional societies have called for screening and intervening on patients' social risks. [6][7][8][9][10] The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the urgency of social care as many patients face new or intensified socioeconomic hardship. [11][12][13][14][15] Amidst accelerating social care integration efforts, collaboration among researchers, policy makers, payers, and health care systems is needed as the drive to implement outpaces the evidence.This issue of Annals of Family Medicine includes 3 articles highlighting both how far we have come in advancing the integration of social and medical care, and how much work lies ahead. In their qualitative case study of Michigan federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), Greenwood-Ericksen et al examine the implementation of social risk screening and drivers of variation in social care activities. 16 In their special report, Hoeft et al translate lessons learned from behavioral health integration to the social care realm. 17 And finally, in a narrative piece, Fessler et al poignantly reflect on the importance of human connection, and how stepping away from formal training

Views and preferences of food‐insecure pregnant women regarding food insecurity screening and support within routine antenatal care

“…Interventions that are ‘internally’ based in a healthcare setting are considered a viable option to screen and address food insecurity, to complement a referral to these established ‘external’ food assistance programmes 27 . Healthcare‐based interventions are considered valuable by clinicians as well as patients, based on research in general, nonpregnancy healthcare settings 25,38–41 . However, the acceptability and preferences of pregnant women regarding food insecurity screening and support within antenatal healthcare are poorly understood 27 .…”

“… 27 Healthcare‐based interventions are considered valuable by clinicians as well as patients, based on research in general, nonpregnancy healthcare settings. 25 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 However, the acceptability and preferences of pregnant women regarding food insecurity screening and support within antenatal healthcare are poorly understood. 27 Pregnant women have also been inadequately consulted to develop or evaluate government‐level food assistance programmes.…”

Application of Medical-Nursing Integration Multidisciplinary-Assisted Surgical Wound Nursing Mode in Improving the Quality of Wound Treatment

“…In this nursing model, through formulating effective nursing intervention countermeasures, the limitation of differential diagnosis and treatment can be effectively avoided, and the situation that patients travel to multiple specialist outpatient clinics after injury can be avoided, thus realizing meticulous management of wound recovery. At present, this nursing model has achieved good nursing results in ophthalmology and oncology, but it is rarely reported in general surgery wound care [ 6 , 7 ]. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the application of the medical-nursing integrated multidisciplinary-assisted surgical wound care model in improving the quality of wound treatment.…”

Children's Savings Programs as Public–Private Partnerships: A Tool to Advance Health Equity for Low-Income Families

“…Partnerships between FQHCs and welfare organizations working to reduce health inequities can effect real change. 3…”