Although much is known about the effects of social connectedness on health, until now, little research has been conducted on how healthcare providers perceive these social determinants of health. To address this gap, the researchers behind the current study examined healthcare providers' understanding and awareness of social connection as being important for health and longevity.
To do so, they surveyed 681 healthcare providers on their perception of poor social connection in relation to physical health. Ultimately, healthcare providers ranked social connection as ‘low in importance' compared to other factors known to influence mortality and chronic illness. They also reported significant barriers to addressing social connection, such as lack of time, resources, training, and confidence.
"We completed the data collection at two different time points because we were waiting for institutional approvals. Our first cohort was healthcare providers through the University of Utah Health System. Slightly later, we had a second major cohort of University of California San Francisco (UCSF) physicians," study author, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Bringham Young University, said in a press release.
"What was interesting is that the perceived importance of social factors was a bit higher among the UCSF group. What I hope is that [this research] can spur recognition that there is a body of evidence showing social connection as medically relevant,” she added.
The findings have implications for the development of educational programs, institutional policies, and structural changes to facilitate the integration of social connection into clinical practice, wrote the researchers in their paper.
Sources: Science Daily, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
