Grant: Project Grant

Social determinants of health (SDoH) include access to employment, adequate income, food, secure housing, and education, to name a few. Social risk factors are related to SDoH domains. The term "risk factor" is used as these conditions increase the risk of poor health. Addressing these risk factors can improve a person's health and wellness. However, there are significant barriers to screening for social risks in routine practice. Rheumatic diseases include inflammatory arthritis, vasculitis and lupus to name a few. People living with rheumatic diseases often experience significant impacts of their disease on their physical function, work, and family lives. Social risk factors negatively impact people living with rheumatic diseases. In this project, we propose to support screening for social risks in rheumatology clinics and pairing this with action to address any identified patient needs. We will use our province-wide electronic health record (EHR) to support screening and managing social risks in rheumatology patients across Alberta. The EHR has a patient-portal to support patients and providers in timely collection and review of social risks. The grant has three objectives. We will first work with patients and clinical teams to understand their perspectives on the collection of social risk factors. This information will be used to co-develop an implementation strategy. Lastly, we will build the infrastructure necessary to begin collection and management of social risks using the EHR. This work will inform a future trial of collection and management of social risk factors in rheumatology. It will also have immediate clinical benefit to people living with rheumatic diseases, as it will support health care teams to meet patient needs. This work will also support the secondary use of this data for public policy and advocacy.