The Effects of a Standardized Social Determinants of Health Screening Process on Provider Documentation and Referral Rate
Graduate Level
Doctoral
Graduate Program/Concentration
Nurse Executive, Doctor of Nursing Practice
Presentation Type
No Preference
Abstract
Facilities that have developed standardized approaches to screening patients for social determinants of health (SDOH) (e.g., access to food, housing, and transportation) report higher rates of provider documentation and increases in related social services referrals, especially when the approach addresses providers' attitudes and perceived barriers to screening. The purpose of the this project was to develop and implement a SDOH screening process- that addresses providers' attitudes and perceived barriers to screening- and to determine if the approach improves rates of provider documentation of screening encounters and social services referrals.
A pre/post comparative design is being used to examine the effects of the process on provider documentation and referral rate, provider attitudes, and perceived barriers of providers. During the four months immediately preceding implementation of the standardized screening process, 150 (34.4%) of 436 patients were screened, as compared to 175 (76.1 %) of 230 patients who were screened the two months following implementation. Of 150 patients screened before implementing the standardized process, 22 (15%) had provider documentation of screening results, as compared to 150 (85.7%) of 175 patients screened the two months following implementation.
Preliminary results suggest the standardized process is improving SDOH screening and providers' documentation rates. Data collection is ongoing and results of statistical comparisons between pre and post standardized screening time periods for screening rates, provider documentation rates, referral rates, providers attitudes to screening, and providers perceived barriers to screening will be presented, along with a description of the standardized process and practitioner implications.
Keywords
Social determinants of health, Health equity, Standardized screen process, Provider attitudes, Perceived barriers, Documentation rates, Healthcare disparities, Patient outcomes
The Effects of a Standardized Social Determinants of Health Screening Process on Provider Documentation and Referral Rate
Facilities that have developed standardized approaches to screening patients for social determinants of health (SDOH) (e.g., access to food, housing, and transportation) report higher rates of provider documentation and increases in related social services referrals, especially when the approach addresses providers' attitudes and perceived barriers to screening. The purpose of the this project was to develop and implement a SDOH screening process- that addresses providers' attitudes and perceived barriers to screening- and to determine if the approach improves rates of provider documentation of screening encounters and social services referrals.
A pre/post comparative design is being used to examine the effects of the process on provider documentation and referral rate, provider attitudes, and perceived barriers of providers. During the four months immediately preceding implementation of the standardized screening process, 150 (34.4%) of 436 patients were screened, as compared to 175 (76.1 %) of 230 patients who were screened the two months following implementation. Of 150 patients screened before implementing the standardized process, 22 (15%) had provider documentation of screening results, as compared to 150 (85.7%) of 175 patients screened the two months following implementation.
Preliminary results suggest the standardized process is improving SDOH screening and providers' documentation rates. Data collection is ongoing and results of statistical comparisons between pre and post standardized screening time periods for screening rates, provider documentation rates, referral rates, providers attitudes to screening, and providers perceived barriers to screening will be presented, along with a description of the standardized process and practitioner implications.