Posted on 05/11/2018 5:11:32 PM PDT by spintreebob
Most physicians don't think it's their responsibility to address patients' social determinants of health, according to a new survey from Leavitt Partners.
Nearly half of doctors reported that their patients would benefit from food assistance, affordable housing and transportation to appointments. Yet well over 50% of doctors didn't think they or insurers have a role in providing that help.
Physicians' resistance to address social determinants comes as providers are increasingly responsible for patients' well-being with the transition to value-based payment models. Research indicates an individual's health status is tied to their social environment, so providers are currently rethinking—and debating—the services they should offer patients and the community.
In the survey, 45% of doctors said it would greatly or moderately help their patients if they had assistance obtaining affordable housing, but 91% said it wasn't their responsibility. Forty-eight percent of doctors said food assistance would help their patients, although 84% responded they weren't obligated to provide that service. And 66% of respondents said patients would benefit from help arranging transportation to healthcare visits, yet 69% didn't think it was their responsibility.
Physicians frequently said in the survey that patients "have other resources for their social needs." They also reported that they don't have time and aren't compensated to address patients' social needs.
The report said that an array of stakeholders including physicians have an obligation to address social determinants of health.
Provider organizations need to consider physician burnout as they look to address social determinants of health, the report noted. Physicians need support staff like social workers, care coordinators and community health workers to help them address these issues.
Additionally, employers have an incentive to tackle their employees' social risk factors, according to the report. Unhealthy food or unstable housing contribute to instability including lower levels of productivity and missed work days.
The survey included responses from 621 physicians.
And those docs are correct
Well, I for one, expect my doctor to come to me, with a hammer and some lumber and build me a dang home. Just because he thinks it isn't his responsibility doesn't change the fact that it's his job, why isn't he doing it?? [/jk]
A doctor is not a social worker. However, this article easily leads into “every doctor’s office SHOULD have a social worker”.
Figuring out the diagnosis and the treatment is a full time job.
And it’s the only job we doctors are trained for.
“They also reported that they don’t have time and aren’t compensated to address patients’ social needs.”
More to the point, we lack expertise and have no right to pretend that we do. I have no more right to influence in these matters than any other voter.
The gov would like to be the sole employer of all doctors.
Why on earth *would* it be the responsibility of physicians or any other health care professional to provide welfare services to patients?
As a PhD type doctor, I also do not think that providing welfare is my job.
The premise of this article is ludicrous.
That’s not a doctor’s job and it shouldn’t be either.
Have a malpractice lawyer ready to go, in case you get termites! ;)
The premise of this article is ludicrous.
The premise of the bureaucrats under Trump is ludicrous.
Tom Price knew he would be HHS Secretary. He allegedly was the expert on what to do. He was the biggest embarrassment of the Trump appointees so far.
Azar has only been on the job a couple weeks. He needs to reassign the bureaucrats who keep pushing this stuff... reassign them to clean environmentally friendly outhouses for Scott Pruitt in a bureaucrat exchange program.
They already have several at every hospital.
Having them on staff at every doctor's office is a logical (to liberals) extension.
What if each office was supposed to have a seat for a roving social worker, or something like that.
Don’t laugh, that could happen.
Wonder if they consider using the anal canal as a sex orifice as one of the social causes of poor health. Suspect not.
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