Social Engagement Support System for Social Determinants of Health

Overseen By Ian Stockwell, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Maryland, Baltimore County

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 12 months

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores whether artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) can identify and address social needs for Medicaid enrollees. Researchers aim to determine if AI/ML can detect social needs from healthcare data and predict who will engage with support services. Participants from different regions will be compared to assess if AI/ML is more effective than current methods. This trial may suit Medicaid enrollees in a partner health plan who face unmet social needs. As an unphased trial, it offers participants the chance to contribute to innovative research that could enhance support services for Medicaid enrollees.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this Social Engagement Support System is safe?

Research has shown that the Social Engagement Support System (SESS) safely enhances connections within social support networks. This system aims to improve interactions and access to resources and is generally well-received. No reports of harm or danger have emerged from using such systems.

The SESS employs technology to understand and support social needs, avoiding medication or medical procedures. This approach reduces the risk of side effects, offering a safer choice for participants. While researchers continue to study the Social Engagement Support System, no evidence indicates it causes harm, making it a promising tool for strengthening social connections. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Social Engagement Support System (SESS) because it tackles the root causes of health issues by addressing social determinants. Unlike traditional healthcare that focuses primarily on medical treatments, SESS provides a support system that coordinates care and predicts risks related to unmet social needs. This innovative approach helps keep people engaged and reduces the chance they'll drop out of social services, which can lead to better overall health outcomes. By focusing on social engagement, SESS aims to fill the gaps that standard medical care might miss, potentially offering a more holistic solution to health challenges.

What evidence suggests that the Social Engagement Support System is effective for addressing social needs in Medicaid enrollees?

Research has shown that focusing on social factors can lead to better health. One study found that 79% of efforts to include social factors in healthcare improved health outcomes. In this trial, the Social Engagement Support System (SESS) is being tested to identify and address unmet social needs, potentially enhancing connections with social support services. Participants in the SESS treatment arm will receive care coordination resources supported by this system. These resources include triaging screening outreach based on predicted risk of unmet social needs and providing engagement support to reduce dropout from the social services workflow. By using advanced technology, this system might effectively identify those who could benefit from these services, potentially reducing the number of people who stop using them. Overall, this approach appears promising in using technology to help people get the support they need. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for members of a partner health plan aged between 18 and 64. It's designed to see if AI can identify and predict engagement with social supports among Medicaid enrollees. The study excludes individuals outside this age range or not part of the health plan.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive care coordination resources supported by the Social Engagement Support System

12 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in health-related social needs and engagement success

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Social Engagement Support System

Trial Overview The trial is testing an AI/ML-based Social Engagement Support System to improve identification and prediction of social needs in healthcare data. It compares the effectiveness of these models against traditional methods across different regions.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: SESS - Treatment Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

This arm will receive care coordination resources supported by our Social Engagement Support System, including the triage of screening outreach based on predicted risk of an unmet social need and engagement support to decrease like likelihood of dropout from the social services workflow.

Group II: SESS - Control Active Control 1 Intervention

This arm will receive no intervention.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Lead Sponsor

Trials

13

Recruited

2,400+

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Collaborator

Trials

473

Recruited

1,374,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The implementation of the Core 5 social risk screening tool in a presurgical spine population successfully identified social risk factors in 59% of patients, highlighting the importance of addressing social determinants of health before surgery.

Staff reported high usability and acceptance of the screening tool, with an average score of 4.4 out of 5, indicating that it can be effectively integrated into clinical workflows to connect patients with necessary resources.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Implementing screening for social determinants of health using the Core 5 screening tool. Bradywood, A., Leming-Lee, TS., Watters, R., et al.[2021]

There is a significant gap in guidance for healthcare practitioners on how to address patients' social needs in clinical settings, despite evidence linking social circumstances to health outcomes.

The article proposes a three-tier framework for implementing social determinants interventions in healthcare, focusing on individual patients, healthcare institutions, and broader population strategies, along with methods for data collection and targeted interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Collecting and applying data on social determinants of health in health care settings. Gottlieb, L., Sandel, M., Adler, NE.[2022]

A new social health screening (SHS) tool was developed based on feedback from health consumer advocates, patients, and clinicians, aimed at addressing social determinants of health (SDH) in clinical settings.

In a pilot study with 50 patients from anxiety and sleep disorder clinics, both patients and clinicians responded positively to the SHS tool, indicating its potential to enhance understanding of individual social circumstances and promote health equity.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Developing a screening tool to recognise social determinants of health in Australian clinical settings. Browne-Yung, K., Freeman, T., Battersby, M., et al.[2020]

Citations

1. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-social-determinants-of-health-sdoh-2-2026-1d6c1

Social Engagement Support System for ... This approach aims to integrate social factors into healthcare, potentially improving health outcomes by addressing social determinants of health directly.

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10871446/

Realizing the Potential of Social Determinants Data This review covers SDoH screening, data collection, NLP extraction, data and health outcome connections, and SDoH-driven interventions. Key findings include ...

3. bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12913-025-12494-2.pdf?utm_source=consensus

Impact of hospital and health system initiatives to address ... Across all outcome measures, 79% demonstrated improvement, with no instances of worsening outcomes. However, 85% of initiatives lacked community ...

4. ascopubs.org ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2024.42.16_suppl.1506

The impact of self-reported social determinants of health ... In this study we report the prevalence of unfavorable SDOH and their impact on engagement with RPM and symptom burden in an RPM pathway deployed in routine ...

5. mend.com mend.com/resource/patient-engagement-for-sdoh/

How Patient Engagement Platforms Address Social ... - Mend Social determinants of health can contribute to your client's mental and behavioral condition. Here's how patient engagement platforms can address them.

6. accounselingllc.com accounselingllc.com/blog/social-engagement-system

Understanding the Social Engagement System: The Key to ... The Social Engagement System (SES) is a complex network of physiological responses that enable us to interact with others in a meaningful way.

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10015351/

From Social Network to Peer Support Network This paper presents a call for further research into how platforms such as Facebook could be used as channels for peer support and the mechanisms that may ...

8. integratedlistening.com integratedlistening.com/blog/face-face-interactions-social-engagement-system/

Face-to-Face Interactions and the Social Engagement ... Face-to-face interactions provide reciprocity and synchronicity, allowing the Social Engagement System (SES) to gauge safety, promoting comfort ...

9. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457513002972

A system of safety management practices and worker ... The overall research objective was to theoretically and empirically develop the ideas around a system of safety management practices.

10. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/289580778_Social_Support_and_User_Engagement_in_Online_Health_Communities

(PDF) Social Support and User Engagement in Online ... We illustrate that users' involvement in various types of social support is related to their level of engagement in an OHC.