Assessing Social Needs in Healthcare: Challenges and Opportunities

A recent study conducted by researchers from the Fairbanks School of Public Health and the Regenstrief Institute sheds light on the effectiveness of various methods used to identify patients' social needs within healthcare settings. The investigation focused on how accurately healthcare practices can detect issues such as food insecurity, housing instability, financial strain, transportation challenges, and legal concerns.

The study analyzed four different approaches: electronic health record (EHR) screening questionnaires, natural language processing (NLP) of clinical notes, rule-based algorithms, and machine learning models. Findings revealed that simple questionnaires generally outperformed more complex machine learning techniques in identifying social needs, particularly for food insecurity, transportation difficulties, and legal issues. However, all methods demonstrated limitations, especially when it came to capturing financial strain.

One of the key insights from the research was the recognition that no single method could comprehensively assess social needs. While questionnaires proved to be effective tools, their reliance alone could overlook certain patient groups. Additionally, the study exposed disparities in how different methods performed across demographic groups, showing that some tools were less effective at identifying needs among Hispanic populations and older adults.

Experts emphasized the importance of combining data-driven approaches with direct patient engagement to avoid inadvertently widening healthcare disparities. Dr. Joshua Vest highlighted that understanding social determinants is as crucial as medical care, but current tools must be supplemented with human-centered strategies to ensure equitable care.

Overall, this research underscores the necessity for healthcare systems to employ a multi-faceted approach in screening for social needs. Integrating various methods can enhance the accuracy of identifying at-risk patients and connecting them with appropriate resources, ultimately improving health outcomes and reducing disparities.

source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-gaps-patients-social-highlighted.html