The STFM Podcast
Bonus Conference Episode: Conference on Practice & Quality Improvement 2025 Closing Session
Addressing Loneliness in Primary Care: Opportunities for Practice Improvement
Presented by Sebastian Tong, MD, MPH, University of Washington
STFM Conference on Practice & Quality Improvement 2025 Closing Session | Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Our previous US surgeon general declared a loneliness epidemic, recognizing the increasing prevalence of loneliness and the associated risks of poorer physical and mental health and premature mortality. As specialists in whole person, comprehensive care, family physicians are uniquely equipped to inquire about and address loneliness in their patients.
In this talk, we will review the health risks and comorbidities associated with loneliness and discuss a framework to think about how to address loneliness in our practices and communities. We will then identify some concrete steps we can each take to reduce loneliness and social isolation not only in our patients but also in ourselves, our colleagues and our communities.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this session, participants should be able to:
- To describe the health risks and comorbidities associated with loneliness.
- To identify tools to screen for and manage loneliness in primary care.
- To identify resources to implement practice changes to improve care for loneliness in primary care.
Copyright © Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, 2025
Sebastian Tong, MD, MPH
Sebastian Tong is an associate professor of Family Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle where he also serves as the associate director of the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho region Practice and Research Network. He practices outpatient family medicine and addiction medicine at the Harborview Family Medicine Clinic.
He conducts research in practice-based research, substance use, loneliness, and chronic pain, and has received funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute of Nursing Research and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. He completed medical school at Boston University School of Medicine, received a Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health, and finished his residency training in family medicine at the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center.
