A recently published survey finds that about one in four hospitals and one in six physician practices screen their patients for social conditions that affect health, such as food access, housing stability, utility and transportation needs, and interpersonal violence.

Results of the cross-sectional survey of 2,300-plus physician practices and nearly 800 hospitals were published in JAMA Network Open, and they highlight barriers to discovering the factors outside the exam room or hospital wall that can affect health or interfere with patients’ engagement in their clinical care.