The Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model Screening Tool
Testing whether systematically identifying and addressing health-related social needs can reduce healthcare costs and utilization.
Overview
The Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) Screening Tool is a standardized questionnaire developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). It is designed to be used in clinical settings to identify patient needs across five core domains: housing instability, food insecurity, transportation difficulties, utility help needs, and interpersonal safety. Like PRAPARE, it is a tool/protocol, not a software product, but it has been widely adopted and integrated into many EHRs and SDOH platforms.
✨ Key Features
- Standardized 10-question screening tool
- Focus on 5 core domains of social needs
- Developed and validated by CMS
- Designed for use with Medicare and Medicaid populations
- Publicly available
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Developed and backed by CMS
- Concise and focused on five core domains
- Strong validation through the AHC model
Unique Value: Provides a free, validated, and standardized tool from CMS for efficiently screening patients for the most critical health-related social needs.
🎯 Use Cases (3)
✅ Best For
- Used by dozens of organizations across the country as part of the CMS AHC Model.
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- A comprehensive software platform for referral management
🏆 Alternatives
Offers a more concise, focused screening tool compared to the more comprehensive PRAPARE protocol, making it potentially faster to administer in busy clinical settings.
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
🔌 Integrations
🛟 Support Options
- ✓ Email Support
- ✓ Dedicated Support (N/A tier)
🔒 Compliance & Security
💰 Pricing
Free tier: The screening tool is free for anyone to use.
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