While many healthcare professionals and diabetes educators recognize the critical need to screen for and intervene in health-related social needs (HRSNs) among patients with diabetes, the practical implementation of screening and referral to community social services remains limited in clinical settings. Various obstacles hinder effective screening, including a lack of community resources, time constraints for educators, limited reimbursement systems, workforce shortages, and a lack of specialized training. Beyond these systemic issues, a significant barrier is the shame and stigma patients may experience when discussing sensitive socioeconomic vulnerabilities. The process of screening for HRSNs should be viewed not merely as data collection, but as a therapeutic intervention designed to deeply understand the patient’s life and build a foundation of trust. This article introduces the “empathic inquiry” approach, developed by the Oregon Primary Care Association (OPCA), as a strategy to avoid shame and stigma while mitigating psychological resistance during the screening and referral process. Engaging in empathetic dialogue regarding social needs is a valuable therapeutic tool in its own right, fostering patient engagement and strengthening therapeutic alliances even when immediate external resource linkage is not possible.
Sung-Chul Lim (Mon,) studied this question.