Health care's blind side: The overlooked connection between social needs and good health, summary of findings from a survey of America's physicians
Analytics, Health Equity & Access
Health care's blind side: The overlooked connection between social needs and good health, summary of findings from a survey of America's physicians
November 15, 2011
In a national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation survey of primary care providers and pediatricians, 85 percent believe that unmet social needs—things like access to nutritious food, reliable transportation and adequate housing—are leading directly to worse health for all Americans. Furthermore, 4 in 5 physicians do not feel confident in their capacity to meet their patients’ social needs, and they believe this impedes their ability to provide quality care.
This is health care’s blind side: Within the current health care system, physicians do not have the time or sufficient staff support to address patients’ social needs.