Warm Handoffs for Improving Client Receipt of Services: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Social Work

Background:

• Warm handoffs facilitate client connections to stigmatized or inaccessible services through direct interaction between providers.
• This approach has potential applications for maternal and child health home visitors connecting families to community resources.
• The effectiveness of warm handoffs remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the existing literature on the effectiveness of warm handoffs in improving service utilization.
• To identify the contexts and populations where warm handoffs have been studied.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review was conducted across four databases.
• Studies were included based on abstract screening and full-text review.
• Evidence tables were created to summarize study characteristics and findings.

Main Results:

• Five studies met the inclusion criteria, examining referrals in various settings including substance use treatment and community health.
• Three studies demonstrated an increase in service receipt among clients referred via warm handoffs compared to controls.
• The reviewed studies involved diverse referral pathways and populations.

Conclusions:

• The current evidence base on the effectiveness of warm handoffs is limited.
• Further investigation is required to understand the impact of warm handoffs, particularly within home visiting programs.
• Research is needed to determine if warm handoffs effectively facilitate client referrals and service uptake.