Background: When people with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) access the US healthcare system, a disparity is created, leading to worse outcomes and lower quality of care.1-5 In-person interpreters are essential in circumventing these disparities, yet pitfalls to collaboration between providers and interpreters persist.6-9 This study’s goal was to assess barriers and identify opportunities for intervention [...]

Background: The social determinants of health (SDOH) are variable factors, including living conditions, employment environments, and social circumstances that influence peoples’ health and can cause health disparities in communities (WHO, 2019). Physicians recognize the importance of SDOH and understand that social factors impact the health outcomes of their patients; however, they may be hesitant to [...]

Background: Social isolation and loneliness (SI+L), two largely silent social determinants of health (SDOH), are associated with negative health outcomes such as the increased risk of cardiovascular disease, higher rates of depression, increased hospital readmissions, and increased use of healthcare services. SI+L are also common, with one in five US adults reporting feelings of SI [...]

Background: Social isolation (SI) is a largely silent and unrecognized social determinant of health that has negative health outcomes, including increased mortality, depression, hospital readmissions, and emergency room visits. In addition, a recent study revealed that SI and loneliness (L) are self-reported as often as food and housing insecurity. While hospitals readily work on food [...]

Background: As hospital length of stay has shortened from an average of 6.5 days in 2015 to 4.5 days in 2019 (1), there is increased urgency for providers to efficiently address inpatient needs and to shift diagnostic and therapeutic management to outpatient settings. Patients are faced with increased self-care burdens, often tasked to implement complex [...]

Case Presentation: A 25-year-old female with a history of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) due to Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) status post cadaveric kidney transplant one year ago presented with acute rejection of the transplanted kidney, likely due to medication non-compliance. Renal biopsy demonstrated that the kidney was no longer salvageable, and she was started [...]