Leveraging Student Volunteers to Connect Patients with Social Risk to Resources On a Coordinated Care Platform: A Case Study with Two Endocrinology Clinics
Introduction: Although unmet social needs can impact health outcomes, health systems often lack the capacity to fully address these needs. Our study describes a model that organized student volunteers as a community-based organisation (CBO) to serve as a social referral hub on a coordinated social c...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ubiquity Press
2024-02-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Integrated Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://account.ijic.org/index.php/up-j-ijic/article/view/7633 |
| _version_ | 1797261632162758656 |
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| author | Grace Lee Rebecca Liu Eugenia R. McPeek Hinz Janet Prvu Bettger John Purakal Susan E. Spratt |
| author_facet | Grace Lee Rebecca Liu Eugenia R. McPeek Hinz Janet Prvu Bettger John Purakal Susan E. Spratt |
| author_sort | Grace Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Although unmet social needs can impact health outcomes, health systems often lack the capacity to fully address these needs. Our study describes a model that organized student volunteers as a community-based organisation (CBO) to serve as a social referral hub on a coordinated social care platform, NCCARE360. Description: Patients at two endocrinology clinics were systematically screened for social needs. Patients who screened positive and agreed to receive help were referred via NCCARE360 to student ‘Help Desk’ volunteers, who organised as a CBO. Trained student volunteers called patients to place referrals to resources and document them on the platform. The platform includes documentation at several levels, acting as a shared information source between healthcare providers, volunteer student patient navigators, and community resources. Navigators followed up with patients to problem-solve barriers and track referral outcomes on the platform, visible to all parties working with the patient. Discussion: Of the 44 patients who screened positive for social needs and were given referrals by Help Desk, 41 (93%) were reached for follow-up. Thirty-six patients (82%) connected to at least one resource. These results speak to the feasibility and utility of organising undergraduate student volunteers into a social referral hub to connect patients to resources on a coordinated care platform. Conclusion: Organising students as a CBO on a centralized social care platform can help bridge a critical gap between healthcare and social services, addressing health system capacity and ultimately improving patients’ connections with resources. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:44:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-428c3ac3138e4bee8872def7b16d2c34 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1568-4156 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:44:18Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Integrated Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-428c3ac3138e4bee8872def7b16d2c342024-03-15T08:09:48ZengUbiquity PressInternational Journal of Integrated Care1568-41562024-02-0124101010.5334/ijic.76337529Leveraging Student Volunteers to Connect Patients with Social Risk to Resources On a Coordinated Care Platform: A Case Study with Two Endocrinology ClinicsGrace Lee0https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9227-5408Rebecca Liu1https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5450-5402Eugenia R. McPeek Hinz2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3759-9806Janet Prvu Bettger3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9708-8413John Purakal4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9540-8997Susan E. Spratt5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7997-2694Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North CarolinaTrinity College of Arts & Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North CarolinaDuke University Health System, Durham, North CarolinaDuke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDuke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Emergency Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina; Samuel Dubois Cook Center on Social Equity, Duke University, Durham, North CarolinaDivision of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina; Duke Population Health Management Office, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North CarolinaIntroduction: Although unmet social needs can impact health outcomes, health systems often lack the capacity to fully address these needs. Our study describes a model that organized student volunteers as a community-based organisation (CBO) to serve as a social referral hub on a coordinated social care platform, NCCARE360. Description: Patients at two endocrinology clinics were systematically screened for social needs. Patients who screened positive and agreed to receive help were referred via NCCARE360 to student ‘Help Desk’ volunteers, who organised as a CBO. Trained student volunteers called patients to place referrals to resources and document them on the platform. The platform includes documentation at several levels, acting as a shared information source between healthcare providers, volunteer student patient navigators, and community resources. Navigators followed up with patients to problem-solve barriers and track referral outcomes on the platform, visible to all parties working with the patient. Discussion: Of the 44 patients who screened positive for social needs and were given referrals by Help Desk, 41 (93%) were reached for follow-up. Thirty-six patients (82%) connected to at least one resource. These results speak to the feasibility and utility of organising undergraduate student volunteers into a social referral hub to connect patients to resources on a coordinated care platform. Conclusion: Organising students as a CBO on a centralized social care platform can help bridge a critical gap between healthcare and social services, addressing health system capacity and ultimately improving patients’ connections with resources.https://account.ijic.org/index.php/up-j-ijic/article/view/7633social drivers of healthsocial resource allocationstudent volunteershealth related social needscoordinated care platform |
| spellingShingle | Grace Lee Rebecca Liu Eugenia R. McPeek Hinz Janet Prvu Bettger John Purakal Susan E. Spratt Leveraging Student Volunteers to Connect Patients with Social Risk to Resources On a Coordinated Care Platform: A Case Study with Two Endocrinology Clinics International Journal of Integrated Care social drivers of health social resource allocation student volunteers health related social needs coordinated care platform |
| title | Leveraging Student Volunteers to Connect Patients with Social Risk to Resources On a Coordinated Care Platform: A Case Study with Two Endocrinology Clinics |
| title_full | Leveraging Student Volunteers to Connect Patients with Social Risk to Resources On a Coordinated Care Platform: A Case Study with Two Endocrinology Clinics |
| title_fullStr | Leveraging Student Volunteers to Connect Patients with Social Risk to Resources On a Coordinated Care Platform: A Case Study with Two Endocrinology Clinics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Leveraging Student Volunteers to Connect Patients with Social Risk to Resources On a Coordinated Care Platform: A Case Study with Two Endocrinology Clinics |
| title_short | Leveraging Student Volunteers to Connect Patients with Social Risk to Resources On a Coordinated Care Platform: A Case Study with Two Endocrinology Clinics |
| title_sort | leveraging student volunteers to connect patients with social risk to resources on a coordinated care platform a case study with two endocrinology clinics |
| topic | social drivers of health social resource allocation student volunteers health related social needs coordinated care platform |
| url | https://account.ijic.org/index.php/up-j-ijic/article/view/7633 |
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