28% Of Surveyed Emergency Departments Screen For Adverse Social Determinants Of Health

In a national survey of 232 hospital emergency departments (EDs), 28.4% screened for adverse social determinants of health (SDOH). Among EDs with screening policies, 81.6% had response policies in place, primarily utilizing social work consultations. About 20.5% had an ED-based social worker, and another 23.4% had around-the-clock social work availability. The findings highlight a substantial gap in the screening and responses for adverse SDOH in US EDs, underscoring the need for enhanced resources and infrastructure to better address social needs in vulnerable ED populations, according to the researchers.

The researchers stated that they . . .