Tech Aid in Identifying and Monitoring Social Determinants of Health Data
In a significant move towards addressing health disparities, the Health and Human Services (HHS) has prioritized Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) as one of the five goals of its Healthy People 2030 initiative [1]. Recognizing the crucial role that SDOH play in health outcomes, healthcare organizations are adopting strategies to standardize and analyze SDOH data effectively.
One key approach involves standardized documentation and coding. SDOH should be consistently documented in the electronic health record (EHR) using standardized codes such as ICD-10 categories Z55-Z65, which address socioeconomic and psychosocial circumstances. This documentation is essential for reliability and comprehensive capture of social factors influencing health [1].
Multidisciplinary collaboration is another essential element. Physician advisors, clinical documentation improvement (CDI) specialists, health information management professionals, and clinical documentation specialists should collaborate to develop and implement CDI tools that capture SDOH accurately and reliably. This collaboration ensures that data captured is valid and useful for clinical decision-making and administrative purposes [1].
Integrating SDOH data collection into EHRs is crucial. Leveraging EHR functionalities to systematically collect and store SDOH data supports assessment of health disparities, enables better patient care interventions, and facilitates research into how social conditions affect health outcomes [1].
Since January 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the American Medical Association (AMA) have aligned evaluation and management (E&M) coding to support documentation of SDOH. This alignment incentivizes thorough documentation of social factors affecting health and supports financial sustainability of SDOH data capture [1].
Addressing technical and standardization challenges is also crucial. Lack of industry consensus on technical standards and inconsistent data formats can hinder SDOH data capture and analysis. Organizations should advocate for and adopt consistent technical specifications and standards to improve data interoperability and enable accurate analytics [1].
Once standardized SDOH data is collected, healthcare organizations should analyze it to identify health disparities, predict outcomes like hospital readmission or length of stay, and design targeted interventions to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. Positive social determinants correlate with better outcomes, so this analysis is crucial for population health management [1].
A 2015 study concluded that SDOH accounted for 84 percent of health outcomes, with medical factors accounting for just 16 percent [2]. Specific social determinants include safe housing, transportation, air and water quality, job opportunities, and systemic discrimination [3]. Given their significant impact, SDOH have become a strategic priority for healthcare providers, payers, and government health agencies [3].
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services groups SDOH into five domains: economic stability, education access and quality, healthcare access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context [3]. Organizations often face challenges in gathering relevant SDOH data, preparing it for analysis, and putting it to use for clinical care and business planning [4].
In summary, the most effective strategy is a multifaceted approach centered on standardized coding, multidisciplinary collaboration, seamless EHR integration, alignment with billing codes, and addressing technical barriers, all aimed at making SDOH data actionable for improving health equity and patient care outcomes [1].
References: [1] SDOH Data Standardization and Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.hcpro.com/home/604430/sdoh-data-standardization-and-analysis [2] Adelman, J. S., & Dobson, A. J. (2015). Social determinants of health: a review of the evidence. Journal of public health, 37(2), e13-e19. [3] Social Determinants of Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/federal-initiatives/healthy-people/2030-charts-book/topics/social-determinants-of-health/index.html [4] Social Determinants of Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/socialdeterminants/index.htm
Technology plays a critical role in standardizing and analyzing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) data, particularly in the realm of data-and-cloud computing. This technology enables healthcare organizations to effectively collect, store, and analyze SDOH data, which is essential for identifying health disparities and designing targeted interventions.
Organizations should advocate for and adopt consistent technical specifications and standards to improve data interoperability and enable accurate analytics, addressing technical challenges that can hinder SDOH data capture and analysis. This strategic approach leverages technology to make SDOH data actionable for improving health equity and patient care outcomes.
