An Educational Initiative to Affect Poverty and Social Determinants of Health-Related Knowledge and Attitudes in Primary Care Settings

Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the poverty-related knowledge and attitudes of primary care providers and staff following an educational initiative focused on poverty and social determinants of health (SDoH). Methods. A descriptive posttest-only design was used. All providers and staff in three outpatient primary care clinics (including one medical home and one women's health clinic) received education (two sessions, one hour in length) on poverty and SDoH. The educational initiative's effectiveness was evaluated by measuring perceptions of (a) knowledge/understanding related to SDoH and low SES and (b) preparedness to serve patients of low SES. Results. Thirty-two of the 55 participants in the educational sessions completed the survey (58%). Average post-education ratings for perceptions of both preparedness and knowledge/understanding were significantly higher than for the corresponding pre-education items (p < .001), with large effect sizes. Study limitations and implications are presented.