Social risk screening asks patients to provide information on health-related social needs that are non-medical but affect health. These include housing stability, food security, reliable medical transportation, consistent utilities service (heat, light, water), and interpersonal safety. This research will determine the acceptability of such screening in adult patients who attend a primary care clinic in-person or via a telemedicine visit, the level of social need in patients, and how to flag such information for care, planning, and follow up.

This study will evaluate the acceptability of social risk screening among adult patients seen in the General Internal Medicine Offices (GIMO) at Montefiore Hospital. The research will enroll patients using the resident clinic, which provides medical care to lower-income patients as well as other patients. The study will be limited to new patients or patients receiving routine follow-up care.

Acceptability will be assessed by (i) the proportion of patients completing the screen among those approached; (ii) the proportion of screening questions completed; and (iii) the proportion of patients willing to complete the screening over the phone (a) by interviewer or (b) on via website using Qualtrics.

The representativeness of the sample will be assessed by comparing the participant sample to aggregate clinic demographic characteristics and deidentified Epic EHR indicators using an honest broker.

The survey instrument is the CMS Accountable Care Communities instrument. It includes patient indicators (demography) and appraisals of care (e.g., trust) that will allow assessment of correlates of social need and acceptability of screening in the clinical setting.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Aged 18+
2. New patient or routine physical exam, GIMO clinic, Montefiore Hospital

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Unable to provide verbal informed consent
2. Unable to complete questionnaire

Patients scheduled for a routine physicals or new patient visits

Deidentified data will be made available to other researchers and students who approach the investigators and prepare detailed analytic plans. The Office of Sponsored Programs will review requests to share de-identified research data/materials to determine whether an agreement needs to be executed.

6 Months after study completion

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