How Social Determinants Are Addressed in AR Health Care Facilities

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), in collaboration with several state and academic partners, has released new findings from a statewide survey examining how Arkansas healthcare facilities screen for social determinants of health—and the challenges they face in addressing them.

According to UAMS, social determinants of health are non-medical factors that influence a person’s health, well-being, and overall quality of life. These include education, access to healthcare, environmental conditions, economic stability, and social and community context—factors that cannot typically be treated inside a doctor’s office.

The survey was conducted in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Health, the UAMS College of Public Health, UA Little Rock, and the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Researchers surveyed 145 healthcare facilities across 48 counties in Arkansas to better understand current screening practices and available resources. The survey was funded through a $200,000 contract from the Arkansas Department of Health’s State Health Alliance for Records Exchange, also known as SHARE.

Results showed that 87% of surveyed facilities are screening patients for social determinants of health. However, many providers reported they lack the resources or infrastructure needed to address the needs they identify or to follow up with patients to ensure those needs are being met.

“People who are suffering from loneliness and social isolation, that can increase their drinking habits, that can lead to emergency department visits, hospitalizations, repeated hospitalizations, and these kinds of problems could be mitigated if we had something as simple as social supports,” said Dr. Mick Tilford, Health Policies and Management Professor at UAMS.

The survey found that food insecurity, housing instability, and lack of transportation were among the most common barriers impacting patients’ health. While providers are increasingly aware of these issues, researchers say there is a significant gap between identifying social needs and being able to connect patients with services.

“It’s just hard to get people connected, and part of the reason for that is that nobody’s using the same tool to collect data, so it’s hard to bring bundled data together,” Dr. Benjamin Amick, Associate Dean for Research at UAMS, said.

Researchers have noted that social determinants of health often outweigh the impact of medical services alone, highlighting the need for broader systems and partnerships beyond traditional healthcare.

“The healthcare sector is just not geared for the problem of social determinants of health. And the extent of social determinants of health would overwhelm the system in its ability to provide services. So there have to be partnerships. And we were asking, trying to come up with the public policy solutions that might aid in allowing the healthcare sector to better provide for social determinants,” Tilford said.

Amick emphasized the importance of coordination across agencies and organizations to ensure people receive the level of support they need.

“Every adult is should have a productive life and quality and high quality of life. It’s not that complicated, in principle, but it’s hard to give everybody that. And some people need more help, and some people need less help. And what it really needs is a system that’s coordinated. We know how to do it,” Amick said.

In a release, UAMS stated that the survey results offer “a valuable statewide resource for understanding non-medical barriers that contribute to poor health outcomes, avoidable hospital use, and rising healthcare costs.”

Amick added that one potential step forward would be creating a unified database that allows providers and organizations to track, evaluate, and coordinate services more effectively across the state.