Associations Between Social Risk Factors and Acute‐Care Use Among Patients With Rheumatic Conditions
Authors' conclusion
Among patients with rheumatic conditions, social risk factor presence was associated with higher rates of acute-care use but not with preventable ED visits.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with ICD codes for rheumatic conditions on at least two encounters receiving rheumatology care at a multihospital system who completed social risk factor screening
- Participants
- 9,590 patients
- Exposure
- Patients with vs without social risk factors
- Social risk factorsn = 1,614
- Outcome
- Acute-care use: ED visits and hospitalizations (and preventable ED visits)
Methodological detailsmultihospital system, negative binomial models adjusted for sociodemographics and comorbidities
- Multihospital system
- Negative binomial models adjusted for sociodemographics and comorbidities
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Each group vs no social risk factorsEstimate (95% CI)
Social risk factors
IRR (ED visits) 1.74(1.53–1.98)
Social risk factors
IRR (hospitalizations) 1.96(1.60–2.43)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Individual social risk factors
- Food insecurity, housing insecurity, transportation challenges, difficulties with medication costs, utility bill needs, education needs and caregiving needs each individually associated with higher rates of ED visits and hospitalizations
- Unemployment associated with higher rates of ED visits only
- Digital access needs associated with higher rates of hospitalizations only
Preventable ED visits
- No association between presence vs absence of social risk factors and rates of preventable ED visits
Original publication
Associations Between Social Risk Factors and Acute‐Care Use Among Patients With Rheumatic Conditions. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). Published 29 June 2026. doi:10.
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