A Case Study of Food Insecurity Screening and Referral: Implementation Barriers, Facilitators, and Lessons from a...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Nutrition Security

Background:

• Routine food insecurity screening is recommended in healthcare settings.
• The effectiveness of community referrals for food-insecure patients needs further investigation.
• This study assessed resource connection for patients identified via a cancer screening program and a food bank partnership.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if food-insecure patients identified through a free cancer screening program could be successfully connected to resources.
• To examine the impact of a local food bank partnership on patient access to food assistance.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to accessing food resources among food-insecure patients.

Main Methods:

• Women undergoing free breast or cervical cancer screening were assessed for food insecurity using the Hunger Vital Signs tool.
• Food-insecure patients received referrals to food bank services via follow-up calls.
• A telephone survey assessed barriers and facilitators to accessing food resources 1-3 weeks later.

Main Results:

• Of 451 patients screened, 92 (20%) were food insecure. Of those referred to SNAP or home delivery, 33% successfully received services.
• Accepted referrals included government food assistance (23%), home delivery (6%), and both (8%).
• 87% of referred patients responded to follow-up calls, with 33% successfully accessing services.

Conclusions:

• Integrating food insecurity screening into healthcare settings shows promise for connecting at-risk patients with essential food resources.
• Understanding and addressing community-specific barriers and facilitators is crucial for optimizing referral success.
• This approach can improve health outcomes by addressing a fundamental social determinant of health.