Report Examines How to Reduce Health Disparities for Socially At-Risk Patients

​Despite healthcare providers' best efforts to care for their patients, socially at-risk patients are likely to have adverse health outcomes unless both their clinical and social needs are incorporated into their care, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The report identifies six recommendations for improving care quality for socially at-risk populations, which include those with low socioeconomic status, social isolation, low health literacy, or residents of a disadvantaged neighborhood, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with a nonnormative gender or sexual orientation, according to the report. The recommendations include individualizing care and performing a comprehensive assessment of clinical and social needs.