Abstract
Loneliness can be a common and harmful problem many people of all ages face. At the practice site, there was no screen to identify lonely patients who would benefit from connection to community resources. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if the translation of Mullen et al.’s research utilizing the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Three-Item Loneliness Scale would impact referrals to a community health liaison among adults. The project was piloted in a rural Ohio community health center over eight weeks. The project's theoretical foundations were Betty Neuman’s systems model and John Kotter’s change management theory. The total sample size was (3629), n = 1575 in the comparative group and n = 2054 in the implementation group. Data were extrapolated from the facility’s electronic health record. To analyze the comparison and implementation group data, a Pearson chi-square was used, and results showed that X2 (N = 3629) = 25.02, p = .000. The p-value of .000 showed a statistically significant difference between the number of referrals for the comparative versus the implementation groups. Clinical significance was supported by a 2% increase in the number of referrals post intervention. Prevalence of loneliness related to age and number of mental health diagnosis was also compared. The lonely group (N=193) had an age range of 18-83, with the mean age of the lonely group 45.56 (SD 17.03). The number of lonely individuals diagnosed with at least one mental illness was higher; 61% (n = 117) of patients identified as lonely were diagnosed with one or more mental health diagnoses, whereas only 30% of the postimplementation group had one or more mental health diagnoses. Based on these results, the implementation of the UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale may improve referral rates in this population. Recommendations include continuation of the screening with appropriate referrals.
Notes
Reference list attached as a separate file.
Sigma Membership
Nu Upsilon, Rho Nu at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Quality Improvement
Research Approach
Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice
Keywords:
Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Implementation Science, Instrument and Tool Development, Mental Illness, Medical Screening, Loneliness, Medical Referrals, Well-Being
Recommended Citation
Garee, Debra, "Implementing Loneliness Screening to Impact Referrals to a Community Health Liaison" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 329.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/329
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-09-29
Implementing Loneliness Screening to Impact Referrals to a Community Health Liaison
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Loneliness can be a common and harmful problem many people of all ages face. At the practice site, there was no screen to identify lonely patients who would benefit from connection to community resources. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if the translation of Mullen et al.’s research utilizing the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Three-Item Loneliness Scale would impact referrals to a community health liaison among adults. The project was piloted in a rural Ohio community health center over eight weeks. The project's theoretical foundations were Betty Neuman’s systems model and John Kotter’s change management theory. The total sample size was (3629), n = 1575 in the comparative group and n = 2054 in the implementation group. Data were extrapolated from the facility’s electronic health record. To analyze the comparison and implementation group data, a Pearson chi-square was used, and results showed that X2 (N = 3629) = 25.02, p = .000. The p-value of .000 showed a statistically significant difference between the number of referrals for the comparative versus the implementation groups. Clinical significance was supported by a 2% increase in the number of referrals post intervention. Prevalence of loneliness related to age and number of mental health diagnosis was also compared. The lonely group (N=193) had an age range of 18-83, with the mean age of the lonely group 45.56 (SD 17.03). The number of lonely individuals diagnosed with at least one mental illness was higher; 61% (n = 117) of patients identified as lonely were diagnosed with one or more mental health diagnoses, whereas only 30% of the postimplementation group had one or more mental health diagnoses. Based on these results, the implementation of the UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale may improve referral rates in this population. Recommendations include continuation of the screening with appropriate referrals.
Description
Attendees will learn the background, prevalence, and detrimental impact of the problem of loneliness. Discussion on the importance of screening all ages using a brief, valid, and reliable scale to identify those who are lonely will follow, with evidence-based interventions that promote connection and promote wellbeing.