The importance of role and setting in health system social determinants of health screening results

Authors: Dana M. Parke, Jaye Clement, David Fuller Jr., Emily Morrow, Stephanie Robinson, Kimberlydawn Wisdom

This study looked at how different healthcare workers screen patients for social needs at Henry Ford Health in Detroit. In 2023, over one million screenings were done, mostly by Medical Assistants (MAs), but they found fewer needs compared to Community Health Workers (CHWs), case managers, and paramedics, who identified more issues even though they did fewer screenings. CHWs were more successful because they built trust and used a friendly, conversational approach. The study suggests that MAs could benefit from training in empathy and that patients are more open when they screen themselves or are in familiar settings like their homes. However, not everyone has equal access to digital tools for self-screening.