The role of housing in patient health: Practitioner insights and protocol review

Housing is increasingly recognised as a critical social determinant of health, yet healthcare systems often lack structured tools to identify and address the risks found in home environments. This UK-based study responds to this gap by developing an integrated approach that brings together community engagement and policy analysis to inform design of assessment tools for use in healthcare, particularly in primary care settings. In the first phase, a public-facing exhibition gathered over 300 responses from healthcare professionals, who shared experiences of housing-related health concerns such as cold, damp, overcrowding, energy insecurity, and mental stress. These insights highlighted the everyday health challenges linked to housing and the limitations professionals face in addressing them. The second phase consisted of a scoping review of existing home-health assessment protocols used across the UK National Health Service, local authorities, third-sector organisations, and international bodies. This review revealed a fragmented and inconsistent landscape, with wide variation in what is assessed, who is involved, and how interventions are delivered. These findings show the value of combining frontline professional perspectives with system-level analysis to inform more cohesive tools. The study contributes to international discussions on embedding social determinants into clinical care and advancing health equity through place-based interventions.