Addressing Unmet Basic Resource Needs as Part of Chronic Cardiometabolic Disease Management
Question Does screening for and addressing unmet basic resource needs in primary care help improve blood pressure and cholesterol and blood glucose levels?
Findings The Health Leads program screens primary care patients for unmet basic needs, such as food, medication, housing, and transportation, and helps link those who report needs to community resources to address them. In a pragmatic evaluation, for 5125 patients screened, those who screened positive, and were encouraged to enter the program, saw statistically significant improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels, but not blood glucose level, compared with those who screened negative.
Meaning Screening for and attempting to address unmet basic needs may help primary care be more effective.