What is Healthcare's Role in Loneliness?

Should doctors screen for social isolation and prescribe social connection? What other ways can the healthcare system support lonely patients?

These questions matter because research shows that up to two-thirds of people in the US feel disconnected, which can lead to health outcomes like heart disease and early mortality and may cost Medicare $6.7 billion each year.

We will seek to answer them on October 13 at Connect+Healthcare, a virtual event that will feature researchers and innovators in a panel discussion and provide opportunities for people to share their perspectives in the chat and breakout rooms.

We would love for you to join! Register here.

This event is part of a larger series called Connect+Conversations that my colleagues and I launched earlier this year to explore ways to make society less lonely, improve community cohesion, and strengthen people’s social health.

We’re looking at this topic through the lens of different sectors, including healthcare, schools, workplaces, cities, technology, and government. This approach is guided by the Social Ecological Model, often used in public health to identify opportunities to take action:

As an individual, your well-being is influenced not only by your behaviors, but also by the relationships you interact with, the organizations you are part of, the community you live in, and the broader society you belong to.

So to prevent and reduce social isolation and loneliness and improve social health, we need to take action at all these levels.

You can watch recordings of past sessions here and sign up for future ones here. The series will culminate in a publication next year that summarizes insights and shares recommendations for leaders and community members across the US and around the globe. In the meantime, I invite you to join the conversation!