Screening for social needs and providing enhanced support: Preliminary findings from a multi-center research study.

Abstract

e13812 Background: Recognition of the impact of social needs on health outcomes has grown. To address cancer health inequities in the Washington, DC area, the GW Cancer Center, and 4 MedStar Health hospitals providing oncology care, implemented a multi-level intervention which involved systematically screening for social needs and providing enhanced support. Here we report on the reach of social needs screening, identified needs, and preliminary health-related quality of life (HRQQOL) changes among those enrolled from 2022-2024. Methods: Through a phased rollout, we systematized health-related social risk factor screening for people diagnosed with cancer across 5 cancer centers in Washington, DC. We captured reach of screening, percentage of individuals screened, and top needs. We invited individuals who self-identified as Black, African American, or African Immigrant to participate in a 6-month, community health worker (CHW) intervention to address HRQOL. We collected self-reported HRQOL via the PROMIS-43, as well as PROMIS social connectedness and self-efficacy measures at baseline and 6 months from baseline. Results: Across 5 hospitals, 1,758/2,498 people diagnosed with cancer were screened for social needs between April 22, 2022 to December 2, 2024. This represented 70.4% of those eligible for screening. Of those screened 422/1,702 (24.8%) reported a social risk factor. Top needs included financial strain n = 411, food insecurity n = 257, housing instability n = 144, and transportation n = 133. Of those not screened, reasons for not screening included not being able to reach the patient or patient declining to discuss social needs. Of those eligible, 321/1070 (30%) agreed to participate in an enhanced intervention that provided 6 months of CHW assistance to identify and address social needs. Participants (n = 321) reported social needs decreased over the time (M = 1.10 at baseline, M = 0.55 at 3 months and M = 0.47 at 6 months). At baseline and at 6 months the top needs included paying for basics n = 97/321 (30%) and n = 32/223 (14%), food insecurity n = 89/321 (28%) and n = 26/223 (12%), and housing instability n = 46/321 (14%) and n = 15/223 (7%). Conclusions: Implementing health-related social needs screening was acceptable to a majority of those diagnosed with cancer across 5 cancer care settings. CHWs identified and worked with patients to address needs among people affected by cancer working closely with community-based organizations in the Washington, DC region.