“Paradoxes” in Social Care Tensions Shed Light On Better Ways To Integrate Social Care Into Primary Care
A theory study identified 12 paradoxes in literature surrounding social care – health care that addresses the patient’s social needs – in primary care ambulatory contexts with the goal of offering a more nuanced understanding of social care to help integrate it into clinical practice. The study found 12 paradoxes, including whether social care promotes equity or reinforces stigma and whether tailoring care to context is a deviation from or deeper application of evidence-based medicine. Paradoxes also included whether screening reduces or amplifies experiences of shame. The authors proposed three potential reconciliation strategies for the proposed paradoxes.
Why It Matters: This article reframes tensions in social care as interdependent paradoxes rather than binary choices and offers a framework that may help primary care and health systems navigate these tensions.
The Paradoxes of Social Care: Reframing Apparent Conflicts
Corresponding Author: Laura R. Porterfield, MD, MPH, et al
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical
Branch, Galveston, Texas
Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd,
Galveston, Texas
Permanent and shareable link (accessible beginning 5pm ET, Monday, July 27, 2026)
The Annals of Family Medicine
27-Jul-2026