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Review
. 2023 Feb 25;24(2):295-301.
doi: 10.5811/westjem.2022.11.57293.

Proceedings from the 2021 SAEM Consensus Conference: Research Priorities for Interventions to Address Social Risks and Needs Identified in Emergency Department Patients

Liliya Kraynov  1 , Aaron Quarles  2 , Andrew Kerrigan  3 , Katherine Dickerson Mayes  4 , Sally Mahmoud-Werthmann  5 , Callan E Fockele  6 , Herbert C Duber  6 , Kelly M Doran  7 , Michelle P Lin  8 , Richelle J Cooper  9 , Nancy Ewen Wang  5
Affiliations
Review

Proceedings from the 2021 SAEM Consensus Conference: Research Priorities for Interventions to Address Social Risks and Needs Identified in Emergency Department Patients

Liliya Kraynov et al. West J Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Introduction: Emergency departments (ED) function as a health and social safety net, regularly taking care of patients with high social risk and need. Few studies have examined ED-based interventions for social risk and need.

Methods: Focusing on ED-based interventions, we identified initial research gaps and priorities in the ED using a literature review, topic expert feedback, and consensus-building. Research gaps and priorities were further refined based on moderated, scripted discussions and survey feedback during the 2021 SAEM Consensus Conference. Using these methods, we derived six priorities based on three identified gaps in ED-based social risks and needs interventions: 1) assessment of ED-based interventions; 2) intervention implementation in the ED environment; and 3) intercommunication between patients, EDs, and medical and social systems.

Results: Using these methods, we derived six priorities based on three identified gaps in ED-based social risks and needs interventions: 1) assessment of ED-based interventions, 2) intervention implementation in the ED environment, and 3) intercommunication between patients, EDs, and medical and social systems. Assessing intervention effectiveness through patient-centered outcome and risk reduction measures should be high priorities in the future. Also noted was the need to study methods of integrating interventions into the ED environment and to increase collaboration between EDs and their larger health systems, community partners, social services, and local government.

Conclusion: The identified research gaps and priorities offer guidance for future work to establish effective interventions and build relationships with community health and social systems to address social risks and needs, thereby improving the health of our patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: By the WestJEM article submission agreement, all authors are required to disclose all affiliations, funding sources and financial or management relationships that could be perceived as potential sources of bias. No author has professional or financial relationships with any companies that are relevant to this study. There are no conflicts of interest or sources of funding to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of literature review search results. SIREN, Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Consensus process to identify social risks and needs interventions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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