Signals in Health Inequity: Examining Social Needs and Costs in a Large Health System.

Previous research has demonstrated that social determinants of health are drivers of medical utilization, cost, and health outcomes. In this study, we compared the mean annual total cost to deliver health services per patient by health-related social need (HRSN) status and total HRSNs using linear regression and ANOVA, respectively. Patients with ≥1 HRSN (n = 8409) yielded $1772 higher annual costs compared to patients without HRSNs (n = 34 775) (P < .

Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID): A Novel Strategy to Build Community Trust.

Background: Efforts to promote COVID-19 vaccination uncovered the effects of longstanding structural racism and perpetuated the erosion of community trust in science and public health institutions. Rebuilding trust is a priority to overcome barriers to vaccine uptake. Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) is a model that combines several evidence-based approaches to nurture trusting relationships with community experts, leading to the dissemination of accurate, timely, and acceptable COVID-19 vaccine messages.

Learning in real world practice: Identifying implementation strategies to integrate health-related social needs screening within a large health system.

Introduction: Health systems have many incentives to screen patients for health-related social needs (HRSNs) due to growing evidence that social determinants of health impact outcomes and a new regulatory context that requires health equity measures. This study describes the experience of one large urban health system in scaling HRSN screening by implementing improvement strategies over five years, from 2018 to 2023.

Methods: In 2018, the health system adapted a 10-item HRSN screening tool from a widely used, validated instrument.

Lessons from Launching the Diabetes Prevention Program in a Large Integrated Health Care Delivery System: A Case Study.

There is urgent need for health systems to prevent diabetes. To date, few health systems have implemented the evidence-based Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), and the few that have mostly partnered with community-based organizations to implement the program. Given the recent decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reimburse for diabetes prevention, there is likely much interest in how such programs can be implemented within large health systems or how community partnerships can be expanded to support DPP implementation.