3 More Amazing Screening Tools for Non-Medical Drivers of Health

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To help address social needs, or the non-medical challenges to health, more healthcare systems are screening patients for non-medical drivers of health.

We at Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio are spotlighting why non-medical drivers of health screenings can be an effective way to improve health outcomes for Latinos and all patients.

Today, we are sharing three more non-medical drivers of health screening tools – questionnaires that gather information from patients – that may be helpful to your healthcare facility.

Download these screening tools or use them as inspiration to create your own!

For more screening tool options, please read our first list of non-medical drivers of health screening tools.

The Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) Screening Tool

In a five-year testing period (2017 to 2022), 28 healthcare facilities used this screening tool to explore its impact on Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries’ healthcare costs and outcomes.

The screening tool is available in English and includes questions on patient living situation, food and transportation access, safety within social groups, financial and mental health, and physical activity level.

“Growing evidence shows that if we deal with unmet HRSNs like homelessness, hunger, and exposure to violence, we can help undo their harm to health. Just like with clinical assessment tools, providers can use the results from the HRSN Screening Tool to inform patients’ treatment plans and make referrals to community services,” stated the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, the creators of the tool.

A federal evaluation of the tool’s impact is currently underway.

Learn more about the AHC HRSN screening tool!

Download this tool!

WellRx

In a 90-day period, WellRx was used to screen over 3,000 patients for non-medical drivers in three New Mexico family medicine clinics.

The results of this pilot study revealed that WellRx improves health outcomes for patients, especially Medicaid beneficiaries.

“46% of patients screened positive for at least one area of social need, and 63% of those had multiple needs. Most of these needs were previously unknown to the clinicians. Medical assistants and community health workers then offered to connect patients with appropriate services and resources to address the identified needs. The WellRx pilot demonstrated that it is feasible for a clinic to implement such an assessment system, that the assessment can reveal important information, and that having information about patients’ social needs improves provider ease of practice,” stated WellRx researchers.

The 11-question screening tool is available in English and covers topics such as food and housing security, income, education, safety within social groups, and alcohol and drug use.

Learn more about this tool!

Download this tool! (See appendix).

HealthBegins

HealthBegins is a company that helps healthcare leaders develop customized non-medical drivers of health screening tools to address their community’s social needs.

With a strong focus on the “Upstream Movement” in healthcare, HealthBegins has a team of experienced health professionals ready to assist clients.

“We understand that better health for all begins with [fairness]. And it begins where we live, work, eat, sleep, and play,” stated HealthBegins. “As pioneers in this movement, we work in solidarity with healthcare and community leaders to translate this knowledge to bold action at all levels — from individual social needs to community-wide [social needs] to society-wide [drivers] of health.”

Learn more about this tool!

Download an example of a HealthBegins non-medical drivers of health screening tool!

Why Screen for Non-Medical Drivers of Health?

Non-medical drivers of health are the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work, and age.

These non-medical factors can impact our ability to live a healthy life, including access to healthy food, transportation to maintain employment, and affordable medication.

If not addressed, these factors can cause and worsen health conditions.

“[Non-medical drivers of health] … are key drivers of health [differences] within [certain] communities,” according to the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. “The impact is pervasive and deeply embedded in our society, creating [differences] in access to a range of social and economic benefits – such as housing, education, wealth, and employment. These [differences] put people at higher risk of poor health.”

Fortunately, when patients are screened for social needs at their medical appointments, healthcare providers can identify ways to address those needs and their root causes, ultimately improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

How Can You Shape Local Non-Medical Drivers of Health?

Select your county and get a Health Report Card by Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio.

In your report card, you will see maps, data, and gauges to compare non-medical drivers of health and public health issues to the rest of your state and nation.

You can email your Health Report Card to local leaders to stimulate community change.

You can also Use the data in your materials or share on social media to raise awareness about the importance of non-medical drivers of health screenings.

Get your Health Report Card!

Start Screening for the Non-Medical Drivers of Health (NMDoH)!

The non-medical drivers of health (NMDoH), like income, housing, and food, can influence health for better or worse.

That’s why we need to screen for the non-medical drivers of health.

NMDoH Screening means that a questionnaire is given to patients in a healthcare setting to help providers identify patient needs outside the healthcare setting. Patients can then be referred to helpful community resources.

Use the Salud America! Action Pack, “How to Screen for NMDoH in Healthcare,” to develop a screening program in your clinic, hospital, or healthcare system.

The action pack, developed by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez at UT Health San Antonio, has a conversation-starting model email, fact sheet, checklist on how to develop screening, and a guide on existing screening tools for NMDoH.

Get your ACTION PACK!