Linking Underserved Patients to Social Services Using the SScAR Tool

Background: The need to screen for social determinants of health (SDOH) is well documented in the literature. Addressing SDOH also requires linking patients to available social service resources. Objective: This Social Screen Assess and Refer (SScAR) Quality Improvement (QI) project purpose was threefold: (1) develop an agency specific tool to screen for SODH; (2) implement this tool in all new patient evaluations; and (3) provide referral to patients for necessary social services. Methods: The SScAR tool adapted questions from published screening tools and created new questions centered on available social services. A pilot study implemented the tool. Documentation of social needs before the pilot, SScAR utilization during the pilot, number of social needs, and referrals made were measured. Results: Documentation of SDOH screening significantly improved with the tool (α.05, χ2(1) = 21.85, p