A Case-Based Workshop Training Medical Students in Assessing Social Determinants of Health Needs and Connecting With Community Resources

INTRODUCTION: Social determinants of health (SDHs) are now recognized as a major factor affecting patient health outcomes and should be addressed by the health care system. Many medical students do not receive practical training on how to assess SDH needs or connect individuals with appropriate resources. METHODS: The authors developed and delivered a 90-minute case-based workshop to train undergraduate medical students in assessing SDH needs and connecting with community resources during their service-learning experiences. The workshop was implemented with undergraduate medical students participating in service-learning programs that linked individuals with resources, with the intention that this information could be used in other educational activities and the students' future medical practice. RESULTS: Twenty-five students participated in the training. Pre- and postsurveys indicated that the training resulted in statistically significant increases in average knowledge and confidence in all topic areas. All participants reported enhanced knowledge and indicated that they would use this information in service-learning and their future medical practice. DISCUSSION: In addition to teaching medical students about the impact of SDHs, this cased-based curriculum provides learners with tools to understand the barriers their patients may face as well as how policy and local resources impact them.