Hospitals, nonprofits tackle social determinants of health with digital network of providers

  • Author: Jenna Carlesso
  • Source: The CT Mirror
  • Date: 01/14/2020

"A year ago, a woman arrived at Griffin Hospital’s emergency room with breathing problems. It wasn’t the first time she had turned up with those troubling symptoms, and physicians at the Derby hospital wondered what kept triggering her asthma.

Instead of just treating the problem and sending her away, the doctors arranged a home visit. When health officials set foot in her rental unit, the issue was immediately clear: A shag rug carpet – a virtual magnet for dust mites, mold spores and other allergens – lined the floor, a red flag for someone with her condition. After a call to the landlord, the carpet was swapped out and the woman’s symptoms subsided.

Last spring, a specialist at Griffin noticed a patient struggling to manage his diabetes. Follow-up interviews and an assessment of his home revealed that he regularly consumed fast food, and wasn’t good about keeping up with his medication. Nutritional counseling and a better organizational system for his pills helped him get back on track."

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