SCREENERS
AHC-HRSN

Accountable Health Communities – Health-Related Social Needs

Accountable Health Communities – Health-Related Social Needs

The AHC-HRSN (Accountable Health Communities – Health-Related Social Needs) questionnaire is a standardized, nationally recognized screening tool used to identify social factors that may impact patient health outcomes. It screens for key social determinants of health including housing, food security, transportation, utility needs, and interpersonal safety.

Delivered digitally through the BrainCheck platform, the AHC-HRSN supports efficient social needs screening and structured documentation, helping care teams connect patients to appropriate community resources and support whole-person care.

Benefits include:

  • Standardized, nationally recognized tool for identifying social determinants of health.
  • Screens across five key social need domains: housing, food, transportation, utilities, and safety.
  • Digital delivery supports scalable, consistent social needs screening across populations.
  • Structured documentation enables referral and follow-up workflows within BrainCheck.

What the AHC-HRSN Screens For 


Housing instability and unsafe or inadequate living conditions.


Utility needs, including issues with heat, electricity, and water.


Food insecurity and access to adequate nutrition.


Interpersonal safety concerns, including domestic violence and elder abuse risk.


Transportation barriers that affect access to care and essential services.

Common Clinical Use Cases

  • Routine social needs screening in primary care and community health centers.
  • Population health and value-based care programs focused on whole-person health.
  • Care coordination workflows requiring structured identification of unmet social needs.
  • Supporting referrals to community resources and social services.

On the BrainCheck Platform

  • Digitally administered with standardized screening across all five social need domains.
  • Structured documentation supports care coordination, referrals, and follow-up workflows.
  • Integrates social risk data into the broader BrainCheck Platform for whole-person care.
  • Supports scalable population health initiatives within HIPAA-compliant workflows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Key things to know about the AHC-HRSN

What is the AHC-HRSN questionnaire?

The AHC-HRSN questionnaire is a standardized screening tool used to identify social factors that may impact health outcomes, such as housing, food, and transportation needs.

What types of social needs does the AHC-HRSN screen for?

The AHC-HRSN screens for housing instability, food insecurity, transportation barriers, utility needs, and interpersonal safety concerns, supporting a whole-person view of patient health.

Is the AHC-HRSN a diagnostic or risk-scoring tool?

No. The AHC-HRSN is not diagnostic. It is used to identify unmet social needs that may influence clinical outcomes and guide care coordination and referrals.

In what settings is the AHC-HRSN commonly used?

The AHC-HRSN is commonly used in primary care, population health programs, and value-based care models, particularly where addressing social needs is critical to patient outcomes.

How does administering the AHC-HRSN through BrainCheck support care coordination?

Delivered digitally through BrainCheck, the AHC-HRSN supports efficient social needs screening, structured documentation, and follow-up workflows, helping teams connect patients to appropriate resources.

More Clinical Evaluation Tools

BrainCheck offers a broad library of clinical evaluation tools designed to support early identification, risk stratification, and longitudinal monitoring of cognitive health across clinical and research settings.

See More