Top 3 Data Challenges to Addressing the Social Determinants of Health

Across the healthcare landscape, it is now widely understood that the social determinants of health (SDOH) have a major impact on health outcomes, care quality, and medical costs. An individual’s race, ethnicity, income level, or geographic location often has more influence on her physical and mental health than clinical factors, and the industry has made a concentrated effort to better address these social determinants. From smaller-scale, community-based initiatives to programs spanning multiple states, payers, providers, and researchers are focusing their energy on the non-clinical elements that impact wellness. However, entities still struggle to adequately address individuals’ SDOH. Collecting this data from patients remains challenging for many organizations, and ensuring the information is representative of whole patient populations presents yet another barrier. Additionally, many providers lack the time and resources to draw meaningful, actionable conclusions from social determinants data – even those who are early adopters of social services integration.