One in three adults experience loneliness and one in four lack social and emotional support (CDC, 2024). Loneliness is feeling alone or disconnected from others, while social isolation is when a person does not have relationships or contact with others and has little to no social support. Social isolation and loneliness can increase a person’s risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, anxiety, suicidality and self-harm, dementia, and early death.
How Cosán Identifies and Intervenes with Socially Isolated Patients
At Cosán, we recognize that loneliness and social isolation can quietly undermine a patient’s ability to manage chronic conditions. That’s why our care coordination model is designed to detect these risks early and respond with empathy, connection, and culturally informed support. Our care pathways include content to identify subtle signs of isolation, such as lack of social contact, withdrawal from usual activity, expressed feelings of loneliness, neglect of self-care, or behavioral changes. When these cues appear, our teams respond by alerting providers and engaging patients in open, compassionate conversations about their emotional and social well-being.
Call to Action for Client Practices: Tackling Social Isolation
As a provider practice, your team is in a position to recognize and respond to loneliness before it undermines care, medication adherence, or patient well-being. Here are specific steps you can take today:
- Integrate social health screening into routine care (e.g., intake forms, Annual Wellness Visits).
- Empower clinical and non-clinical teams to recognize red flags
- Partner with community resources (e.g., senior centers, transportation services, home services) and peer networks
- Utilize care coordination, social work, behavioral health programs to build connections and maintain regular, empathetic check-ins
- Leverage technology thoughtfully by offering a variety of options (e.g., scheduled phone calls, patient portals, secure messing, virtual group meetings, wellness apps) that promote engagement and incorporate patient preferences.
- Normalize mental and emotional health conversations, destigmatizing loneliness and social isolation by making it a regular topic during care interactions.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024). Health Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness. Social Connection. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/social-connectedness/risk-factors/index.html
About the Author
Dr. Jon Pomeroy is a dual-board certified physician in internal medicine and clinical informatics and also holds a PhD with a focus on AI application in healthcare. He has deep experience in healthcare artificial intelligence, clinical
