Social workers are key to addressing social determinants of health in integrated care settings.

Social workers play an important role in assessing social determinants of health (SDH) and providing behavioral health services in integrated care settings. Evidence suggests that integrated care interventions improve quality of life and other patient outcomes. However, the ambiguous role of social workers on the interdisciplinary team, the lack of protocol in SDH screening and intervention, and restrictions due to healthcare reimbursement limit social workers' ability to intervene. Future directions include standardizing integrated care models, evaluating integrated care's efficacy to address SDH, incorporating SDH into interprofessional training including role clarification and reimbursing for SDH assessment and intervention.

Exploring the Efficacy of Social Work Interventions in Hospital Settings: A Scoping Review.

Social workers play an integral role in hospitals, particularly as it relates to improving patient outcomes. This scoping review was conducted to explore the impact of social work interventions in hospital settings on healthcare utilization. Research literature was identified using the following search engines: PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, SocINDEX & MEDLINE. The initial search was conducted in May 2019, and an updated search was conducted in April 2021. Search results identified 2633 references and 110 articles met criteria for full-text review. Eighteen articles were included in the final review. Social work interventions include transitional care (56%), care coordination (22%), behavioral health (17%) and case management (5%). Significant improvements to readmission, mortality and utilizations rates are reported in over 80% of the studies, however the vast majority are non-randomized quantitative studies. More rigorous studies are needed to expand the literature and further evaluate the effectiveness of social work interventions in hospital settings.

The effect of the Ambulatory Integration of the Medical and Social (AIMS) model on health risk and depression.

Social needs are factors for health risk and depression that may negatively impact health outcomes and costly services use. Care management addresses social needs that can reduce health risk and depression. An exploratory study of the 5-step Ambulatory Integration of the Medical and Social Model (AIMS) was conducted to examine the effect of steps completed as part of AIMS on patients' depression and health risk outcomes at 6-months. Results reveal steps central to AIMS are significantly related to lower depression and health risk, suggesting AIMS is a valuable intervention for reducing health risk and depression.

SAFE - Home Opioid Management Education (SAFE-HOME) in older adults: a naloxone awareness program for home health workers.

BACKGROUND: Older adults (≥65 years) have seen significant increases in opioid overdose deaths. Diversion of older adults' opioid medication is also a contributor to opioid misuse. Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, saves lives when used for an opioid overdose, yet education on opioid overdose and naloxone access and training for older adults is limited. METHODS: A prospective, interventional training program was created to educate home health workers and their older adult clients on opioid overdose and naloxone utility. The SAFE - Home Opioid Management Education (SAFE-HOME) naloxone awareness program was created to include in-person training with educational handouts around opioid risks and on the importance of naloxone. Home health workers, who provide in-home care and care coordination to older adults in rural Illinois, were trained to educate their clients with the SAFE-HOME program. Older adults were included if they were prescribed an opioid for any indication. Outcomes included change in knowledge of opioids and naloxone, home health worker perception of client knowledge level and naloxone obtainment rates following the educational intervention. RESULTS: Thirty-five clients completed the SAFE-HOME program. The average knowledge assessment score increased from a baseline of 39.4% (SD 26.8) to 90.6% (SD 12.6, p<0.01). Most home health workers agreed their older adult clients had poor baseline knowledge of naloxone. No clients obtained naloxone due to lack of perceived need and cost barriers. CONCLUSION: An educational approach utilizing home health workers as client educators resulted in increased knowledge of opioid risks and naloxone utility amongst older adults.

Time Contribution of Social Workers in Care Management: Value for Older Adults.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to examine the time contribution of social workers in delivering AIMS (Ambulatory Integration of the Medical and Social), a care management protocol designed to address patients' nonmedical needs, and the association of time contribution with patients' depression outcomes. PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTING: The study was conducted in 6 primary care provider clinics housed in a large, urban academic medical center located in the Midwestern United States. METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLE: A longitudinal, quasi-experimental study employing survey procedures and a retrospective review of patient records was conducted. The study included 340 patients 50 years and older with unmet nonmedical needs. Half of the patients received AIMS, which was delivered by social workers. The other half received usual care (UC), which was delivered by other health care providers. RESULTS: Chi-square analysis and independent-samples t tests were performed to compare time spent addressing nonmedical needs with differences in patients' depression levels at 6 months postenrollment. The findings reveal that social workers spend significantly more time with patients than UC providers addressing patients' nonmedical needs (p < .0001). At 6 months postintervention, reduced levels of depression were observed for AIMS patients when compared with UC patients (p = .026). IMPLICATIONS FOR CARE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: Including social workers as part of health care teams is valuable. Time spent with patients and engaging in care management activities to support patients' needs is linked with positive health outcomes. Given the benefits of care management, opportunities for reimbursement are enhanced.

Connecting Social, Clinical, and Home Care Services for Persons with Serious Illness in the Community.

The medical, psychological, cognitive, and social needs of older adults with serious illness are best met by coordinated and team-based services and support. These services are best provided in a seamless care model anchored by integrated biopsychosocial assessments focused on what matters to older adults and their social determinants of health; individualized care plans with shared goals; care provision and management; and quality measurement with continuous improvement. This model requires (1) racially and ethnically diverse healthcare professionals, including mental health and direct service workers, with training in aging and team collaboration; (2) an integrated network of community-based organizations (CBOs) providing in-home services; (3) an electronic communication platform that spans the system of providers and organizations with skilled technology staff; and (4) payment models that incentivize team-based care across the continuum of services, including CBOs, with adequate salaries and academic loan forgiveness to recruit and retain high-quality team members. Assuring that this model is effective requires ongoing quality assurance measures that include not only quality of care and utilization data to demonstrate cost offsets of service integration, but also quality of life for both the older adults and the family members caring for them. Although this may seem a lofty ideal in comparison with our current fragmented system, we review models that provide the key elements effectively and cost efficiently. We then propose an Essential Care Model that defines best practice in meeting the needs of older adults with serious illness and their families. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:S412-S418, 2019.

Collaborative Care for Depression of Adults and Adolescents: Measuring the Effectiveness of Screening and Treatment Uptake.

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed effectiveness of screening, referrals, and treatment uptake of a collaborative care for depression intervention across 10 primary care clinics in Chicago. METHODS: Between November 2016 and December 2017, patients (N=25,369) were screened with the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 on the basis of an eligibility algorithm. Electronic health record data were analyzed for sample characteristics, screening rates, referrals, and treatment pathways. To identify disparities, a test of proportions was conducted between eligible and screened patients as well as referred and treated patients. RESULTS: Screenings, referrals, and uptake occurred proportionately across subgroups except for patients ages 12-17. Adolescent age was associated with disproportionate Patient Health Questionnaire-9 screenings and with treatment disengagement. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention shows promise in expanding access to care and reducing disparities. Greater access to psychotherapies and innovative treatment modalities, particularly for adolescents, may improve overall treatment uptake.

BRIGHTEN Heart intervention for depression in minority older adults: Randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary geriatric team intervention in decreasing symptoms of depression among urban minority older adults in primary care. Secondary outcomes included cardiometabolic syndrome and trauma. METHOD: 250 African American and Hispanic older adults with PHQ-9 scores ≥ 8 and BMI ≥ 25 were recruited from 6 underserved urban primary care clinics. Intervention arm participants received the BRIGHTEN Heart team intervention plus membership in Generations, an older adult educational activity program; comparison participants received only Generations. RESULTS: Both arms demonstrated clinically significant improvements in PHQ-9 scores at 6 months (-5 points, intervention and comparison) and 12 months (-7 points intervention, -6.5 points comparison); there was no significant difference in change scores between groups on depression or cardiometabolic syndrome at 6 months; there was a small difference in depression trajectory at 12 months (p < .001). More participants in the treatment group (70.7%) had greater than 50% reduction in PHQ-9 scores than the comparison group (56.3%; p = .036). For those with higher PTSD symptoms (PCL-C6), improvement in depression was significantly better in the intervention arm than the comparison arm, regardless of baseline PHQ-9 (p = .001). In mixed models, those with higher PTSD symptoms (ß = -0.012, p = < 0.001) in the intervention arm showed greater depression improvement than those with lower PTSD symptoms (ß = -0.004, p = .001). CONCLUSIONS: The BRIGHTEN Heart intervention may be effective in reducing depression for urban minority older adults. Further research on team care interventions and screening for PTSD symptoms in primary care is warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Identifying and managing depression through collaborative care: expanding social work's impact.

While behavioral health symptoms commonly present in primary care, most primary care providers lack the time, resources, and expertise to identify and treat them on their own. To address this need, many quality improvement efforts are underway to expand teams and integrate behavioral health assessments and interventions into primary care. Due to their expertise in behavioral health, community supports, and behavioral activation, social workers are natural leaders in integrating care. This paper describes one urban academic medical center's efforts to ensure adolescent and adult patients with depressive symptoms are connected to adequate care and support. A case study is included to demonstrate the Collaborative Care Team model as described, including details regarding the role social workers play. Key quality improvement and policy considerations for scaling up and sustaining collaborative initiative are included.

Cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease: a report from a multidisciplinary symposium on unmet needs and future directions to maintain cognitive health.

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their care partners frequently report cognitive decline as one of their greatest concerns. Mild cognitive impairment affects approximately 20-50% of people with PD, and longitudinal studies reveal dementia in up to 80% of PD. Through the Parkinson's Disease Foundation Community Choice Research Award Program, the PD community identified maintaining cognitive function as one of their major unmet needs. In response, a working group of experts across multiple disciplines was organized to evaluate the unmet needs, current challenges, and future opportunities related to cognitive impairment in PD. Specific conference goals included defining the current state in the field and gaps regarding cognitive issues in PD from patient, care partner, and healthcare professional viewpoints; discussing non-pharmacological interventions to help maintain cognitive function; forming recommendations for what people with PD can do at all disease stages to maintain cognitive health; and proposing ideas for how healthcare professionals can approach cognitive changes in PD. This paper summarizes the discussions of the conference, first by addressing what is currently known about cognitive dysfunction in PD and discussing several non-pharmacological interventions that are often suggested to people with PD. Second, based on the conference discussions, we provide considerations for people with PD for maintaining cognitive health and for healthcare professionals and care partners when working with people with PD experiencing cognitive impairment. Furthermore, we highlight key issues and knowledge gaps that need to be addressed in order to advance research in cognition in PD and improve clinical care.

Efficacy of a Transition Clinic on Hospital Readmissions.

BACKGROUND: A primary care-staffed transition clinic is one potential strategy for reducing 30-day re-admissions for patients without an established primary care physician, but the effectiveness has not been studied. The objective was to test whether patients who completed a postdischarge transition clinic appointment were less likely to be readmitted within 30 days. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study included adults with Medicare or Medicaid coverage who were discharged from general medicine units at Rush University Medical Center between October 2013 and October 2014. All patients had a follow-up appointment scheduled within 30 days of discharge in the transition clinic or with their primary care physician. A binary logistic regression model was constructed to test the relationship between 30-day readmission and follow-up appointment status, controlling for patient factors. RESULTS: The sample included 1149 patients with scheduled follow-up appointments (24% in the transition clinic and 76% with their primary care physician). After controlling for patient demographic characteristics and clinical factors, patients who did not complete a scheduled transition clinic appointment had approximately 3 times higher odds of readmission compared with patients who completed a transition clinic appointment (adjusted odds ratio, 2.80; P = .004). There was no significant difference in the likelihood of 30-day readmission between patients completing a transition clinic appointment and those who were scheduled with their primary care physician. CONCLUSIONS: A primary care-staffed transition clinic is a promising strategy for providing access after a recent hospitalization and effectively managing the initial posthospital discharge needs of vulnerable populations.

Integrating Social Services and Home-Based Primary Care for High-Risk Patients.

There is a consensus that our current hospital-intensive approach to care is deeply flawed. This review article describes the research evidence for developing a better system of care for high-cost, high-risk patients. It reviews the evidence that home-centered care and integration of health care with social services are the cornerstones of a more humane and efficient system. The article describes the strengths and weaknesses of research evaluating the effects of social services in addressing social determinants of health, and how social support is critical to successful acute care transition programs. It reviews the history of incorporating social services into care management, and the prospects that recent payment reforms and regulatory initiatives can succeed in stimulating the financial integration of social services into new care coordination initiatives. The article reviews the literature on home-based primary care for the chronically ill and disabled, and suggests that it is the emergence of this care modality that holds the greatest promise for delivery system reform. In the hope of stimulating further discussion and debate, the authors summarize existing viewpoints on how a home-centered system, which integrates social and medical services, might emerge in the next few years.

The role of social workers in addressing nonmedical needs in primary health care.

Nonmedical needs are intricately linked to health. Unaddressed nonmedical needs often result in poorer health and increased healthcare costs. Although social workers are well positioned to address nonmedical needs, their role in healthcare environments to address nonmedical needs is limited. The limited role relates to a lack of reimbursement streams, which stems from poor articulation about their unique contributions. An analysis of a case study in which a social worker using AIMS, a protocolized care coordination model, was undertaken to highlight specific activities performed by social workers. Implications for patient health outcomes and healthcare costs are discussed.