Social Determinants of Health Overview
Catalyst participants complete the American Academy of Family Physicians Social Needs Screening Tool within their participant portal, allowing them to draw attention to social health needs they may have outside of a clinic setting. This tool was developed to screen for five core health-related social needs: housing, food, transportation, utilities, and personal safety, as well as additional needs of employment, education, child care, and financial strain, using validated screening questions.
When these social needs are addressed through Social Determinants of Health screening and those needs are factored into clinical care decision-making, providers are able to develop personalized treatment plans better tailored to the patient’s needs – plans that the patient is more likely to follow.
