Abstract
Background: Addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) is an important and evolving area of population health management which prompts a need for an initiative, such as a Community of Practice, that can support traditionally unregulated practitioners who serve clients whose health is impacted by SDOH.
Approach: A community of practice (CoP) was established in the Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Ontario Health Team (FLA OHT) to connect practitioners working with the SDOH to share knowledge, facilitate navigation, and improve practitioner experience. SDOH practitioners include Community Services Workers (CSWs), who provide person-centered care to connect clients to community-based services aiming to support SDOH impacted health needs. Two CSWs from two Ontario Health Team partner organizations were consulted in the design of this CoP to gain a better understanding of their roles and how the SDOH CoP could be structured to provide benefit to similar community providers. Other SDOH focused practitioners, such as social services workers and practical assistance workers, share a focus on system navigation and support. There is currently no established regulatory body to support CSWs and other SDOH practitioners in their work, prompting a need for this CoP to be created. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of the FLA OHT CoP in supporting SDOH practitioners with the broader goal of better targeting SDOH in the FLA region. An online survey was created based on a previously developed framework for evaluating extra-organizational CoPs. Outcomes of interest focus on individual benefits of the CoP, assessment of CoP function and broader field impacts. Members of SDOH CoP will be invited to participate. Survey distribution began in early June 2024 and will be completed by the time of the NACIC 2024 conference.
Results: Since inception in February 2023, the CoP has had 8 bimonthly meetings, presentations from community services and a wide variety of resources shared electronically. The CoP distribution list has 50+ participants and continues to grow. An early informal planning survey completed in January 2024 with responses from 2 CoP members found positive reception. The knowledge gained from partner organization presentations and opportunities to connect with other professionals that they would not typically interact with were notable highlights from participants. The formal evaluation is expected to show similar positive results on individual, group, and community outcomes.
Implications: Study findings have the potential to provide evidence for implementing CoPs to support SDOH practitioners and help promote the spread and scale of such networks to other communities and OHTs with the overarching goal of improving population health and wellbeing. The audience of this presentation will gain practical knowledge on how to implement a CoP for SDOH Practitioners within their own region, including logistics such as executive sponsorship, membership recruitment, meeting organization, resource sharing methods, etc. They will also gain insight on the effectiveness of a CoP for SDOH practitioners based on evaluation results regarding individual perceived utility, CoP group function, and broader field impacts.