Identifying Veterans with a Higher Risk of Social Needs Using Cluster Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Many social need screening to advance population health and reduce health disparities, but barriers to screening remain. Improved knowledge of patient populations at risk for social needs based on administrative data could facilitate more targeted practices, and by extension, feasible social need screening and referral efforts.

Objective

To illustrate the use of cluster analysis to identify patient population segments at risk for social needs.

Design

We used clustering analysis to identify population segments among Veterans (N=2010) who participated in a survey assessing nine social needs (food, housing, utility, financial, employment, social disconnection, legal, transportation, and neighborhood safety). Clusters were based on eight variables (age, race, g

SUBMITTER: Friedman H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11803015 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature