PRAPARE 101: Using PRAPARE to Assess and Address Social Needs

Identifying the socioeconomic and structural drivers of poor health outcomes and higher costs is increasingly important when caring for complex patients. By collecting standardized data on the social determinants of health (SDOH) using the PRAPARE tool, community health centers can better understand the complexity of their patient populations and use that information for a variety of purposes including providing more appropriate care, better allocating limited resources, targeting interdisciplinary teams, and providing needed social services—either in-house or through community partnerships. The Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks and Experiences (PRAPARE) is a standardized SDOH needs assessment tool developed by the National Association of Community Health Centers, the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, and the Oregon Primary Care Association to help community health centers engage patients and inform care and payment transformation. This session will introduce PRAPARE, how health centers are implementing it, and how it has accelerated care improvements, population health, and health equity.