Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39557585›Full record

ArticleHealth services research2025

Addressing social and health needs in health care: Characterizing case managers' work to address patient-defined goals.

Amanda L Brewster, Elizabeth Hernandez, Margae Knox, Karl Rubio, Ishika Sachdeva

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health services research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

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2citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Amanda L BrewsterSchool of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4024-5830
Elizabeth HernandezContra Costa Health, Martinez, California, USA.
Margae KnoxSchool of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5234-8610
Karl RubioSchool of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.
Ishika SachdevaSchool of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.

Funding

AHRQ HHS T32 HS022241AHRQ HHS T32HS022241
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo test quantitative process measures characterizing the work of social needs case managers as they assisted patients with diverse health-related needs-spanning both medical and social domains. STUDY SETTING AND

designThe study analyzed secondary data on 7076 patients working with 147 case managers from the CommunityConnect social needs case management program in Contra Costa County, California from 2018 to 2021. The service-designed to be holistic with a focus on social determinants as root causes of health issues-helped patients navigate social services, health care, and mental health care. DATA SOURCES AND ANALYTIC SAMPLE: We used cross-sectional analyses to quantitatively characterize electronic health records (EHRs) derived measures of case management intensity (goal updates), duration (days goal was open), and outcomes for 19 different categories of health and social goals. Mixed-effects regression models were used to examine how work process measures varied according to goal categories. Models nested goals within patients within case managers and adjusted for patient-level covariates. PRINCIPAL

findingsThe most common goals were dental care (53%), food (40%), and housing (39%). In adjusted analyses, housing goals had significantly more case manager updates than any other type of goal with a marginal mean of 14.0 updates (95% CI: 13.4-14.7), were worked on for significantly longer (marginal mean of 417 days, 95% CI: 360-474) than any goal except dental care, and were least likely to be resolved. Utilities, insurance, and medication coordination goals were most likely to be resolved.

conclusionsCase managers and patients repeatedly worked on goals over many months. Meeting housing needs and accessing dental care were issues that were not easily resolved and required extensive follow-up. One-time referral interventions may need follow-up systems to meaningfully support social and health needs.

Indexed as

Case ManagementCase ManagersHealth Services Needs and DemandAdultAgedCaliforniaCross-Sectional StudiesElectronic Health RecordsFemaleGoalsHumansMaleMiddle AgedSocial Determinants of HealthSocial Workcare navigationcase managementMedicaidsocial determinants of healthsocial needs

Identifiers

PMID39557585
PMCPMC12052505

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.