Quality Improvement Project on Social Determinants of Health: Insights into the Readiness of Obstetric Clinicians to Ensure the Social Needs Screener is Completed by Obstetric Patients

Background: Social Determinants of Health (SDOHs) can impact patient health outcomes in more ways than previously known. Social Determinants of Health (SDOHs) can play a role in mortality, morbidity, life expectancy, health care expenditures, health status, and functional limitations. Obstetric (OB) patients, in particular, experience barriers to meeting their socioeconomic needs that may involve housing, transportation, healthy food, utilities, and others. Screening for SDOH may help address these barriers and lead to better health outcomes. However, registered nurses (RNs) and medical assistants (MAs) are not commonly equipped in practice to screen for SDOH. Methods: Clinicians in the outpatient OB clinics were assessed and evaluated, through pre-and post-surveys, for their knowledge and readiness to ensure OB patients complete the Social Needs screener during the new OB visit and a six-week postpartum visit. Results: Our results demonstrate that educating the OB clinicians on the Social Needs screener prior to the go-live date was helpful, to some degree, in gaining awareness of patient social needs, and achieving the readiness and commitment to ensure the screener is completed by OB patients. Conclusion: The findings in this study provide insights into the readiness of clinicians to integrate the Social Needs screener in their daily workflow and to ensure OB patients complete the screening tool. This is in addition to the three other questionnaires the patients have to complete. To date, this is the first study to assess the readiness of clinicians to ensure the Social Need screener is completed by OB patients. The findings here can be used to further assess the actual experience and compliance of clinicians after the screener goes live.