Assessing Alignment of Patient and Clinician Perspectives on Community Health Resources for Chronic Disease Management

Addressing social determinants of health (SDoH) is associated with improved clinical outcomes for patients with chronic diseases in safety-net settings. This qualitative study supplemented by descriptive quantitative analysis investigates the degree of alignment between patient and clinicians’ perceptions of SDoH resources and referrals in clinics within the public healthcare delivery system in San Francisco. We conducted a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews, patient-led neighborhood tours, and in-person clinic visit observations with 10 patients and 7 primary care clinicians. Using a convergent parallel mixed methodology, we also completed a descriptive quantitative analysis comparing the categories of neighborhood health resources mentioned by patients or community leaders to the resources integrated into the electronic health record. We found that patients held a wealth of knowledge about neighborhood resources relevant to SDoH that were highly localized and specific to their communities. In addition, multiple stakeholders were involved in conducting SDoH screenings and referrals, including clinicians, system navigators such as case workers, and community-based organizations. Yet, the information flow between these stakeholders and patients lacked systematization, and the prioritization of social needs by patients and clinicians was misaligned, as represented by qualitative themes as well as quantitative differences in resource category distribution analysis (p < 0.001). Our results shed light upon opportunities for strengthening social care delivery in safety-net healthcare settings by improving patient engagement, clinic workflow, EHR engagement, and resource dissemination.