Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing (ND)

First Advisor

Dr. Laura Beth Turner

Abstract

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are non-medical factors that influence a patient's health outcomes. The WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health has stated that improving SDOH is one of the most effective means of enhancing the well-being of all individuals and reducing disparities (Chelak et al., 2023). Implementing increased screening measures to identify deficits can positively impact patient outcomes by providing crucial resources that address patients' needs. This approach can significantly enhance the quality of healthcare services (Wark et al., 2021). The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project was to evaluate self-reported screening rates for SDOH among healthcare providers and if they made appropriate referrals from deficits found in screenings. Enhancing screenings for SDOH and enabling providers to refer patients to community resources when deficits are identified can lead to better overall health outcomes and increased compliance with care plans. A review of over one hundred peer-reviewed articles provided strong evidence that screening patients for SDOH, identifying deficits, and referring patients to resources to address those deficits can improve overall health outcomes. Participating providers completed a pre-survey before the educational sessions on SDOH screening and referral services for identified deficits. In the pre-survey, they were asked if they routinely screened for SDOH and whether they provided referrals for deficits identified. Three months after the educational sessions, the providers were sent a post-survey with the same questions regarding screening and referrals for identified deficits. A total of 14 providers completed the pre-test, and 10 providers completed the post-test. A Chi-square analysis was conducted on each question, comparing the frequencies in the pre-test to those in the post-test. Although there were no statistically significant differences in the frequencies between the pre-and post-tests for any of the questions (all p-values were greater than 0.05), practical differences emerged between the two surveys. This project supports the need for continued education on increasing screenings for SDOH at patient visits and making appropriate referrals for identified deficits found in screenings.

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