TY - JOUR
AU - D. T. Nguyen
AU - M. A. Gormley
AU - J. Correa-Ibarra
AU - E. P. Bridges
AU - L. Estes
AU - M. Lutz
A1 - 
AB - OBJECTIVES: Medical students rarely get the opportunity to witness the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on patients within their community. Mobile integrated health care (MIH) programs utilize community paramedics (CPs) to tackle patient-specific SDOH to promote continuity of care and linkage to treatment for patients lacking access to health care resources. This study discusses the creation of an MIH ride-along program for medical students and assesses whether ride-along participation would influence medical students' knowledge and perceptions of SDOH and the role SDOH play in accessing health care resources. METHODS: First- or second-year medical students in the Southeastern United States completed at least one 8-hour ride-along with the MIH program. Pre-shift surveys assessed baseline SDOH knowledge and post-shift surveys reassessed SDOH knowledge and documented students' perceptions on the educational value of the ride-along. Five key categories of SDOH assessed included: 1) education quality and access, 2) health care quality and access, 3) economic stability, 4) neighborhood and built environment, and 5) social and community context. Paired t-tests assessed differences in the mean scores pretest and post-test. RESULTS: The 33 participants were predominantly White (72.0%) and female (64.0%), with an average age of 26 (±3.84). Students conducted home visits (93.0%), medication reconciliations (67.0%), chronic disease education (48.0%), lab draws (48%), and social and resource referrals (35.0%) during ride-alongs. Nearly all (94.0%) reported the MIH program improved their understanding of all five SDOH categories and health care challenges within their community. All but one recommended permanent integration of MIH ride-alongs into the medical school curriculum. CONCLUSIONS: Working alongside CPs to care for underserved patients increased medical student knowledge of SDOH and heightened awareness of how SDOH impacts patients' health care within their local community. Most recommended integrating the MIH program into the medical school curriculum. Medical educators should consider incorporation of MIH interactions to enhance real-world experience with SDOH.
AD - Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, South Carolina.; Department of Emergency Medicine, Prisma Health Upstate, Greenville, South Carolina.; Clemson University School of Health Research, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina.; Prisma Health Ambulance Services Mobile Integrated Healthcare Program, Easley, South Carolina.; Greenville County Emergency Medical Services, Greenville, South Carolina.
AN - 41790533
BT - Prehosp Emerg Care
C5 - Healthcare Disparities; Education & Workforce
DA - 04/2026
DO - 10.1080/10903127.2026.2640174
DP - NLM
ET - 20260409
JF - Prehosp Emerg Care
LA - eng
N2 - OBJECTIVES: Medical students rarely get the opportunity to witness the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on patients within their community. Mobile integrated health care (MIH) programs utilize community paramedics (CPs) to tackle patient-specific SDOH to promote continuity of care and linkage to treatment for patients lacking access to health care resources. This study discusses the creation of an MIH ride-along program for medical students and assesses whether ride-along participation would influence medical students' knowledge and perceptions of SDOH and the role SDOH play in accessing health care resources. METHODS: First- or second-year medical students in the Southeastern United States completed at least one 8-hour ride-along with the MIH program. Pre-shift surveys assessed baseline SDOH knowledge and post-shift surveys reassessed SDOH knowledge and documented students' perceptions on the educational value of the ride-along. Five key categories of SDOH assessed included: 1) education quality and access, 2) health care quality and access, 3) economic stability, 4) neighborhood and built environment, and 5) social and community context. Paired t-tests assessed differences in the mean scores pretest and post-test. RESULTS: The 33 participants were predominantly White (72.0%) and female (64.0%), with an average age of 26 (±3.84). Students conducted home visits (93.0%), medication reconciliations (67.0%), chronic disease education (48.0%), lab draws (48%), and social and resource referrals (35.0%) during ride-alongs. Nearly all (94.0%) reported the MIH program improved their understanding of all five SDOH categories and health care challenges within their community. All but one recommended permanent integration of MIH ride-alongs into the medical school curriculum. CONCLUSIONS: Working alongside CPs to care for underserved patients increased medical student knowledge of SDOH and heightened awareness of how SDOH impacts patients' health care within their local community. Most recommended integrating the MIH program into the medical school curriculum. Medical educators should consider incorporation of MIH interactions to enhance real-world experience with SDOH.
PY - 2026
SN - 1090-3127
SP - 1
EP - 6+
ST - Riding into Reality: How Ride-Alongs with Mobile Integrated Healthcare Shape Medical Student Understanding of Social Determinants of Health
T1 - Riding into Reality: How Ride-Alongs with Mobile Integrated Healthcare Shape Medical Student Understanding of Social Determinants of Health
T2 - Prehosp Emerg Care
TI - Riding into Reality: How Ride-Alongs with Mobile Integrated Healthcare Shape Medical Student Understanding of Social Determinants of Health
U1 - Healthcare Disparities; Education & Workforce
U3 - 10.1080/10903127.2026.2640174
VO - 1090-3127
Y1 - 2026
ER -