ResearchPosted on rand.org Jun 25, 2020Published in: American Journal of Public Health, Volume 110, Issue 4 (April 2020), Pages 567-573. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2019.305519
To describe the types of social services provided at community health centers (CHCs), characteristics of CHCs providing these services, and the association between on-site provision and health care quality.
We surveyed CHCs in 12 US states and the District of Columbia during summer 2017 (n = 208) to identify referral to and provision of services to address 8 social needs. Regression models estimated factors associated with the provision of social services by CHCs and the association between providing services and health care quality (an 8-item composite).
CHCs most often offered on-site assistance for needs related to food or nutrition (43%), interpersonal violence (32%), and housing (30%). Participation in projects with community-based organizations was associated with providing services on-site (odds ratio = 2.48; P = .018). On-site provision was associated with better performance on measures of health care quality (e.g., each additional social service was associated with a 4.3 percentage point increase in colorectal cancer screenings).
Some CHCs provide social services on-site, and this was associated with better performance on measures of health care quality.
Health care providers are increasingly seeking to identify and address patients' unmet social needs, and on-site provision of services is 1 strategy to consider.
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