Screening for Social Drivers of Health: Lessons from the Field

A key component of Inova Health System’s efforts to meet the health and well-being needs of people in northern Virginia is identifying and addressing social determinants of health (SDOH). Inova leaders say they have screened thousands of patients and connected them with community organizations to help meet unmet social needs.

AHIMA recently presented the webinar “Screening for Social Drivers of Health: Lessons from the Field.” Inova leaders shared successful strategies they have implemented to improve the collection, sharing, and analysis of SDOH data. They also discussed steps they have taken to comply with recent federal regulations that require screening and reporting on the Screening for Social Drivers of Health Measure and the Screen Positive Rate for Social Drivers of Health Measure.

The expert panel featured pediatrician Henna Qureshi, DO, FAAP, health equity physician lead at Inova; and Sarah Gordon, MBA, Inova’s director of clinical analytics and outcomes.

Here are key takeaways from the panel discussion:

1. Collaboration is fundamental to having a successful SDOH program. Various departments and staff need to be involved across the health system, providers should support the effort, trust must be built with patients, and partnerships need to be established with community-based organizations.
2. Quantifying the local problem via a needs assessment survey can motivate staff to find solutions to patients’ needs. Spreading the workload among staff helps ease implementation. Audits and feedback to the staff and residents allow Inova to recognize contributions to the success of screening for SDOH.
3. Inova is leveraging SDOH data to support the community. Information is shared with community partners to strengthen coordination of services needed to address SDOH.

Learn more from the experts by watching the full webinar below.