PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - De Marchis, Emilia H.
AU  - Aceves, Benjamin
AU  - Razon, Na’amah
AU  - Chang Weir, Rosy
AU  - Jester, Michelle
AU  - Gottlieb, Laura M.
TI  - Adjusting Clinical Plans Based on Social Context
AID  - 10.3122/jabfm.2023.230289R1
DP  - 2024 May 01
TA  - The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
PG  - 466--478
VI  - 37
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/37/3/466.short
4100  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/37/3/466.full
SO  - J Am Board Fam Med2024 May 01; 37
AB  - Background: Social risk data collection is expanding in community health centers (CHCs). We explored clinicians’ practices of adjusting medical care based on their awareness of patients’ social risk factors—that is, changes they make to care plans to mitigate the potential impacts of social risk factors on their patients’ care and health outcomes—in a set of Texas CHCs.Methods: Convergent mixed methods. Surveys/interviews explored clinician perspectives on adjusting medical care based on patient social risk factors. Survey data were analyzed with descriptive statistics; interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis and inductive coding.Results: Across 4 CHCs, we conducted 15 clinician interviews and collected 97 surveys. Interviews and surveys overall indicated support for adjustment activities. Two main themes emerged: 1) clinicians reported making frequent adjustments to patient care plans based on their awareness of patients’ social contexts, while simultaneously expressing concerns about adjustment; and 2) awareness of patients’ social risk factors, and clinician time, training, and experience all influenced clinician adjustments.Conclusions: Clinicians at participating CHCs described routinely adjusting patient care plans based on their patients’ social contexts. These adjustments were being made without specific guidelines or training. Standardization of adjustments may facilitate the contextualization of patient care through shared decision making to improve outcomes.