Article: Using electronic medical records to manage social needs

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

By Laura Gottlieb, Karen Tirozzi, Rishi Manchanda, Abby Burns, & Megan Sandel American Journal of Preventive Medicine

This article explores the feasibility of using electronic medical records (EMRs) as a way to assess and manage social needs in a clinical setting, particularly those serving vulnerable populations. Three case studies, including one on medical-legal partnership, highlight multiple functions that EMRs can perform to facilitate the integration of social determinants of health into clinical systems, including screening, triaging, referring, tracking, and data sharing.