Social Needs Screening and Chronic Diseases Study (WE CARE)

May 18, 2026 updated by: Arvin Garg, University of Massachusetts, Worcester

Improving Chronic Disease Outcomes Across the Lifespan by Addressing Structural Racism

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the implementation of the WE CARE social determinants of health (SDOH) screening and referral intervention with an antiracist lens in primary care settings can lead to a meaningful decrease in chronic disease by monitoring conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, hyperlipidemia, and asthma through clinical measures. The main question it aims to answer is:

Does the WE CARE SDOH screening and referral intervention applying an antiracism lens informed implementation strategies have the potential to reduce racial/ethnic health inequities in chronic diseases for minoritized patients?

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

With a multidisciplinary team of social determinants of health (SDOH), implementation, antiracism, community-engaged, and practice-based researchers, the investigators will apply an antiracism framework to an existing evidence-based SDOH screening and referral system and develop a holistic implementation toolkit aimed at reducing bias and mitigating unequal treatment for families of color. The investigators will first conduct qualitative interviews with adult patients and caregivers to understand their experiences with racism and discrimination within the context of their experiences with screening and referral for SDOH; the investigators will then share their findings with stakeholders (e.g., clinic directors, community agency leaders, health system leaders, Medicaid leaders) and elicit their ideas on how best to address these issues within the systems they lead. Subsequently, the investigators will refine the WE CARE implementation protocol using this stakeholder input with the guidance of antiracism and implementation experts. The investigators will then implement the refined WE CARE protocol in family medicine clinics since adverse SDOH impact the whole family unit; it will also allow them to examine WE CARE's impact on improving health outcomes for racialized groups across the life course. The investigators will conduct a hybrid effectiveness-implementation study with a stepped wedge cluster RCT design in three large family medicine clinics (including 2 health centers) that serve racially/ethnically diverse low-income families from Worcester, Massachusetts. The specific aims are to:

  • Aim 1: Refine the WE CARE implementation protocol using an antiracism lens and community engagement approach to: (a) conduct key informant interviews with families to identify racism and discrimination related barriers to SDOH screening/referral; (b) present these barriers to systems-level stakeholders to elicit input on strategies to address patient concerns; and 3) create an antiracist informed toolkit for the implementation of SDOH screening/referral.).*
  • Aim 2: Deploy the refined WE CARE protocol in family medicine practices and assess implementation outcomes including equity, appropriateness, and patient-centeredness
  • Aim 3: Conduct a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the refined WE CARE protocol on prevalent pediatric and adult chronic diseases (e.g., asthma, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, depression) outcomes

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
68000

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, 01605
      • Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, 01610
      • Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, 01655
        • Not yet recruiting
        • UMass Memorial Medical Center -Benedict Family Medicine Clinic
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Susan Hogan, MD
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults and children with diagnosed chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, asthma, or depression) who receive Family Medicine care at one of the study sites.
  • Children (<18 years of age) with a diagnosis of asthma.
  • Adult patients (18 years or older) with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and/or depression.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • In adults (>18 years of age), those without one or more of the following diagnoses as recorded by ICD-10 codes in their EHR: hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, or depression.
  • In children (<18 years of age), those without a diagnosis of asthma.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Screening
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: WE CARE Implementation Arm
The study team will work with clinic staff and leadership to implement the WE CARE protocol at each clinical site.
Other: WE CARE SDOH System
The WE CARE System: A family-centered, highly efficacious approach for addressing adverse SDOH in the clinical setting. Arvin Garg, MD, MPH developed and conceptualized the WE CARE (Well-Child care visit, Evaluation, Community Resources, Advocacy, Referral, Education) intervention in 2005. This approach relies on existing clinical processes and infrastructure and social service resources, thereby making implementation, dissemination, and sustainability feasible. The intervention components include brief training of the clinical team; administration of a short screening tool to parents/patients identifying their desire for help with specific unmet social needs; and provider/clinic staff access to a physical or electronic family resource book containing community- resource listings. Providers generate referrals for families who indicate that they want help with unmet social needs on the WE CARE screener. Existing staff members may assist patients in connecting to referred resources.
Active Comparator: Usual Care - Control
Participants in the usual care group receive standard pediatric care. In this study, participants in the Usual Care arm are a historical cohort of patients who meet eligibility criteria and are identified retrospectively from the Electronic Health Records. As such the investigators have registered this study on Clinical Trial.gov prior to the implementation of the active WE CARE experimental arm.
Other: Standard Pediatric Care
Standard pediatric care includes any existing screening practices, which can vary at each clinic.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Blood pressure (BP) measurements
Time Frame: Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements collected at all routine and follow-up visits for adults.
Every 3 months for up to 3 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
LDL-C measurements
Time Frame: Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Laboratory assessment for lipid (LDL-C) levels for adult patients with hyperlipidemia.
Every 3 months for up to 3 years
HbA1c measurements
Time Frame: Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Laboratory assessment for Hba1C levels for diabetes patients.
Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Emergency department visits
Time Frame: Every 3 months for up to 3 years
All ED visits whether or not they lead to a hospitalization for children and adults. (total, Asthma related, non-emergent)
Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Hospitalizations
Time Frame: Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Hospitalizations for children and adults (total, ACSC, Asthma related, CVD)
Every 3 months for up to 3 years

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Body mass index
Time Frame: Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Clinical BMI assessment
Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Clinic visit adherence
Time Frame: Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Clinic visit attendance (appointment-keeping/no-shows)
Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Adverse social determinants of health (SDOH)
Time Frame: Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Number/types of patient's unmet social needs
Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Social determinants of health (SDOH) screening
Time Frame: Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Number of screeners given by providers to patients.
Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Provider referrals
Time Frame: Every 3 months for up to 3 years
Number/types of referrals to social services given by providers to patients.
Every 3 months for up to 3 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Massachusetts, Worcester

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Boston University
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Boston Medical Center
Family Health Center of Worcester

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 8, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 30, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 30, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 25, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 25, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 1, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 18, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • STUDY00001499
  • 1R01NR020752-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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