Open AccessSocial Determinants of Health in Maternity Care: A Quality Improvement Project for Food Insecurity Screening and Health Care Provider Referral
Author(s) -
Chelsea Fitzhugh,
Marina Stranieri Pearsall,
Kristin P. Tully,
Alison M. Stuebe
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
health equity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.826
H-Index - 9
ISSN - 2473-1242
DOI - 10.1089/heq.2020.0120
Subject(s) - referral , medicine , intervention (counseling) , quality management , family medicine , workflow , health care , nursing , quality (philosophy) , food insecurity , business , food security , marketing , agriculture , ecology , philosophy , management , epistemology , economic growth , economics , biology , service (business)
Purpose: This quality improvement project evaluated implementation of social determinants of health screening and referral for food insecurity. Methods: Four obstetric providers used study-developed resources to screen and refer English-speaking patients ( n =14) during clinic visits. Providers and patients completed post-visit questionnaires. Provider feedback informed improvements to the intervention approach for consecutive study shifts. Results: Providers and patients reported high satisfaction with encounters. Referrals were made for four patients. Challenges to implementation included resource organization, time constraints, and integration into clinic workflow. Conclusion: Processes for universal screening and tailored information provision are areas to continue to strengthen for establishing equitable health care.