A retrospective observational study – exploring food pantry referral as a clinical proxy for residents’ ability to address unmet health-related social needs
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Assessment of residents' ability to address unmet health-related social needs to promote social accountability remains subjective and difficult. Existing approaches rely on self-assessment surveys of residents' knowledge, skills, and attitudes following social determinants of health training, with few studies explicitly measuring clinical practice. We aimed to characterize social accountability using resident referrals to a food pantry embedded in a pediatric primary care center as an objective measure of resident ability to address unmet health-related social needs in clinical practice. METHODS: This retrospective observational study occurred from 1 January 2019, to 30 June 2020, at an urban, pediatric primary care center with an embedded food pantry. All pediatric residents received social accountability education during a 2-week Advocacy rotation intern year. During clinic visits, pediatric residents were expected to act on results of a standardized social screen that included two food insecurity questions. Food pantry referral was the primary outcome. Food pantry referral data were extracted from food pantry logs. RESULTS: = 545) were initiated by residents. Eighty-six percent of residents (134/156) made ≥ 1 referral. Across all years, residents placed a mean of 3 (range 1-16) food pantry referrals. CONCLUSIONS: During our study, most residents placed at least one pantry referral in response to identifying food insecurity either via the screen or during conversation with the family. Referral to a primary care embedded food pantry, one way to address acute food insecurity may serve as a measurable proxy to assess residents' ability to address unmet health-related social needs and promote social accountability in healthcare delivery.
Source: Medical Education Online
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,189
OpenAlex ID: W4402682613