# Social Determinants of Health * **Definition:** The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that significantly affect health outcomes and access to healthcare services. * **Taxonomy:** Healthcare Topics / Social Determinants of Health ## News * Selected news on the topic of **Social Determinants of Health**, for healthcare technology leaders * 6.1K news items are in the system for this topic * Posts have been filtered for tech and healthcare-related keywords | Date | Title | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | 5/19/2025 | [**athenahealth Launches athenaOne® for Community Health Centers**](https://hitconsultant.net/2025/05/19/athenahealth-launches-athenaone-for-community-health-centers/) | [[HIT Consultant]] | | 4/23/2025 | [**EDs Struggle to Screen, Respond to Social Determinants of Health, Survey Finds**](https://www.ajmc.com/view/eds-struggle-to-screen-respond-to-social-determinants-of-health-survey-finds) | [[AJMC]] | | 4/23/2025 | [**WebMD Ignite to Enhance Health Plan Care Management Engagement - - HIT Consultant**](https://hitconsultant.net/2025/04/23/webmd-ignite-to-enhance-health-plan-care-management-engagement/) | [[HIT Consultant]] | | 4/23/2025 | [**Why Healthcare Publishers Need An Exclusive Ad Management Platform**](https://hitconsultant.net/2025/04/24/why-healthcare-publishers-need-an-exclusive-ad-management-platform/) | [[HIT Consultant]] | | 4/18/2025 | [**Wasteful Spending on Remote Monitoring? New Report Urges Policy Overhaul**](https://hitconsultant.net/2025/04/18/wasteful-spending-on-remote-monitoring-new-report-urges-policy-overhaul/) | [[HIT Consultant]] | | 4/14/2025 | [**Health Equity eekly Roundup: April 14, 2025**](https://www.ajmc.com/view/health-equity-access-weekly-roundup-april-14-2025) | [[AJMC]] | | 4/7/2025 | [**Transforming Healthcare with AI and Deviceless Remote Patient Monitoring**](https://www.healthcareittoday.com/2025/04/07/transforming-healthcare-with-ai-and-deviceless-remote-patient-monitoring/) | [[Healthcare IT Today]] | | 2/25/2025 | [**Innovaccer Earns Top Ranking in 2025 Black Book Survey Under New Rigorous AI-Specific ...**](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/innovaccer-earns-top-ranking-2025-150000538.html) | [[Yahoo Finance]] | | 2/12/2025 | [**Comprehensive 25-year history of electronic health records and their role in medical research assembled**](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-comprehensive-year-history-electronic-health.html) | [[MedicalXpress]] | | 2/4/2025 | [**Partnering with Community Organizations and Ensuring Equitable Access to ... - Healthcare IT Today**](https://www.healthcareittoday.com/2025/02/04/partnering-with-community-organizations-and-ensuring-equitable-access-to-healthcare-services-for-marginalized-and-vulnerable-populations/) | [[Healthcare IT Today]] | | 1/13/2025 | [**Veradigm Adds Social Determinants of Health and Mortality Data to EHR Database to Allow Deeper Insights into the Patient Journey**](http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250113137490/en/Veradigm-Adds-Social-Determinants-of-Health-and-Mortality-Data-to-EHR-Database-to-Allow-Deeper-Insights-into-the-Patient-Journey/?feedref=JjAwJuNHiystnCoBq_hl-Q-tiwWZwkcswR1UZtV7eGe24xL9TZOyQUMS3J72mJlQ7fxFuNFTHSunhvli30RlBNXya2izy9YOgHlBiZQk2LOzmn6JePCpHPCiYGaEx4DL1Rq8pNwkf3AarimpDzQGuQ==) | [[Business Wire]] | | 1/13/2025 | [**Veradigm Adds Social Determinants of Health and Mortality Data to EHR Database to Allow Deeper Insights into the Patient Journey**](http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250113137490/en/Veradigm-Adds-Social-Determinants-of-Health-and-Mortality-Data-to-EHR-Database-to-Allow-Deeper-Insights-into-the-Patient-Journey/?feedref=JjAwJuNHiystnCoBq_hl-RLXHJgazfQJNuOVHefdHP-D8R-QU5o2AvY8bhI9uvWSD8DYIYv4TIC1g1u0AKcacnnViVjtb72bOP4-4nHK5ieT3WxPE8m_kWI77F87CseT) | [[Business Wire]] | | 1/9/2025 | [**OMNY Health and Scipher Medicine Partner to Revolutionize Autoimmune Disease ...**](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250109865071/en/OMNY-Health-and-Scipher-Medicine-Partner-to-Revolutionize-Autoimmune-Disease-Treatment-with-Clinico-Transcriptomics-Data) | [[Business Wire]] | | 1/8/2025 | [**Jaishankar Inukonda Receives 2024 Global Recognition Award for Data Engineering**](https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/jaishankar-inukonda-receives-2024-global-recognition-award-for-data-engineering-1034206248) | [[Business Insider Markets]] | | 1/7/2025 | [**Surgical Information Systems (SIS) Earns Tenth Consecutive #1 Client Rating in Ambulatory ...**](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/surgical-information-systems-sis-earns-140000248.html) | [[Yahoo Finance]] | | 12/23/2024 | [**How Medicare Advantage Programs Can Address Social Risk and Improve Health Outcomes**](https://hitconsultant.net/2024/12/23/how-medicare-advantage-programs-can-address-social-risk/) | [[HIT Consultant]] | | 12/12/2024 | [**Hartford Healthcare partners to open health equity clinic - Becker's Hospital Review**](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/health-equity/hartford-healthcare-partners-to-open-health-equity-clinic.html) | [[Beckers Hospital Review]] | | 12/11/2024 | [**Expert consensus on myocarditis care: 3 notes - Becker's Hospital Review**](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/cardiology/expert-consensus-on-myocarditis-care-3-notes.html) | [[Beckers Hospital Review]] | | 12/6/2024 | [**VSee Health Partners with AbundaBox to Launch AbundaLife - Business Wire**](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241206750662/en/VSee-Health-Partners-with-AbundaBox-to-Launch-AbundaLife%E2%84%A2-Transforming-Health-Record-Management-for-Families-Nationwide) | [[Business Wire]] | | 12/6/2024 | [**VSee Health Partners with AbundaBox to Launch AbundaLife™: Transforming Health Record Management for Families Nationwide**](http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241206750662/en/VSee-Health-Partners-with-AbundaBox-to-Launch-AbundaLife%E2%84%A2-Transforming-Health-Record-Management-for-Families-Nationwide/?feedref=JjAwJuNHiystnCoBq_hl-RLXHJgazfQJNuOVHefdHP-D8R-QU5o2AvY8bhI9uvWSD8DYIYv4TIC1g1u0AKcacnnViVjtb72bOP4-4nHK5ieT3WxPE8m_kWI77F87CseT) | [[Business Wire]] | | 12/6/2024 | [**VSee Health Partners with AbundaBox to Launch AbundaLife™: Transforming Health Record Management for Families Nationwide**](http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241206750662/en/VSee-Health-Partners-with-AbundaBox-to-Launch-AbundaLife%E2%84%A2-Transforming-Health-Record-Management-for-Families-Nationwide/?feedref=JjAwJuNHiystnCoBq_hl-Q-tiwWZwkcswR1UZtV7eGe24xL9TZOyQUMS3J72mJlQ7fxFuNFTHSunhvli30RlBNXya2izy9YOgHlBiZQk2LOzmn6JePCpHPCiYGaEx4DL1Rq8pNwkf3AarimpDzQGuQ==) | [[Business Wire]] | | 11/4/2024 | [**Ready to transform healthcare? Get ready for AI**](https://www.healthcaredive.com/spons/ready-to-transform-healthcare-get-ready-for-ai/731163/) | [[Healthcare Dive]] | | 8/17/2024 | [**Social Determinants of Health Market Set to Experience Exponential Growth by 2031**](https://www.whatech.com/og/markets-research/medical/867788-social-determinants-of-health-market-set-to-experience-exponential-growth-by-2031-insights-and-trends.html) | whatech.com | | 1/10/2024 | [**Generative artificial intelligence models effectively highlight social determinants of health in doctors' notes**](https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/generative-artificial-intelligence-models-effectively-highlight-social-determinants-of-health-in-doctors-notes/ar-AA1mNIaF) | msn.com | | 10/29/2018 | [**AMA updates social determinants of health data map**](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/care-coordination/ama-updates-social-determinants-of-health-data-map) | [[Beckers Hospital Review]] | ## Topic Overview (Some LLM-derived content — please confirm with above primary sources) ### Key Players - **Socially Determined**: A company providing analytics on social risk factors affecting health outcomes. - **U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)**: Government body that implements policies and rules to improve health outcomes, including addressing social determinants of health. - **American Heart Association**: Provides guidelines emphasizing the importance of addressing social determinants of health in stroke prevention. - **Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation**: Links payment models to social determinants of health, focusing on healthcare disparities. - **American College of Cardiology**: Professional organization that provides guidance on integrating social determinants of health into clinical practice for cardiology patients. - **Get Well**: Recognized for digital health programs addressing social determinants of health. - **AbsoluteCare**: A healthcare provider that integrates social determinants of health into its holistic care model for vulnerable populations. - **Community Health Alliance (CHA)**: Recognized for its commitment to addressing social determinants of health through community health programs. - **CareSource**: A nonprofit health plan provider committed to addressing social determinants of health through partnerships and funding. - **Lightbeam Health Solutions**: Utilizes population health management platforms to address social determinants of health and improve patient care. - **AstraZeneca**: A pharmaceutical company actively funding initiatives to address social determinants of health and improve health equity. - **Center on Health Equity & Access**: Aims to tackle disparities in healthcare access through innovative solutions and policies. - **Komodo Health**: A healthcare analytics company that provides insights into social determinants of health through its MapEnhance offering. - **mPulse**: Provider of Health Experience and Insights technology, recognized for its capabilities in managing social determinants of health. - **Findhelp**: A social care platform recognized for its effectiveness in addressing social determinants of health, facilitating care coordination for community organizations. - **Montefiore Health System**: An academic health system that received funding to enhance healthcare access and employment readiness for women of color, addressing SDOH. - **Amazon Web Services**: Expanded its AWS Health Equity Initiative funding to address SDoH and climate change impacts. - **Pear Suite**: A digital health company focused on empowering community health workers to address social determinants of health effectively. ### Partnerships and Collaborations - **MedeAnalytics, Socially Determined, and Mathematica**: A partnership to modernize the measurement and financial impact of social determinants of health interventions. - **Lightbeam Health Solutions, Primary Partners, and Alliance for Community Health**: Collaborated to effectively address social determinants of health, resulting in improved patient engagement and health outcomes. - **AstraZeneca and Nonprofits**: AstraZeneca's ACT on Health Equity initiative funds nonprofit programs aimed at improving healthcare access and addressing social determinants of health. - **CareSource and Communities In Schools**: A partnership to provide essential support services aimed at helping students stay in school and addressing health disparities. - **WellSpan Health and Hippocratic AI**: Collaboration to enhance patient engagement and address healthcare access disparities. - **Instacart and Northwell Health**: Enhance access to nutritious food and implement health programs targeting social determinants of health. - **Hartford Healthcare and University of Connecticut**: Collaboration to establish a Health Equity Clinic focusing on health inequities and legal barriers affecting health outcomes. - **Virtua Health and Unite Us**: This collaboration focuses on connecting patients to community services to improve population health and address social determinants of health. - **Get Well, Magnolia Health, and Canopy Children's Solutions**: Address youth mental health and provide resources related to social determinants of health. - **Homewatch CareGivers and hospitals**: This partnership leverages technology for better care coordination, addressing social determinants of health. - **Montefiore Health System**: Received a grant to enhance healthcare access for women of color, focusing on HIV testing and mental health services. - **Priority Health and Curai Health**: Partnered to provide free virtual visits to uninsured Michigan residents, aiming to improve access to care. - **Get Well, LifeBridge Health, and Findhelp**: Focus on improving maternal health outcomes through enhanced communication. - **Lightbeam Health Solutions**: Collaborated with Primary Partners and Alliance for Community Health to reduce preventable readmissions and improve health outcomes. - **Get Well**: Collaborated with LifeBridge Health and Findhelp to improve maternal health outcomes, resulting in a reduction in preterm deliveries. - **Muse Health and FlyteHealth**: Partnership to enhance obesity care and chronic condition management, focusing on SDoH. - **Techstars**: An investment organization predicting that future healthcare startups will focus on integrating technological innovation with understanding human needs. - **VSee Health and AbundaBox**: Partnership to launch AbundaLife, a health record management platform to consolidate medical records for better healthcare management. - **Ochsner Health and Xavier University**: Collaborating to educate healthcare providers on fostering a culture of equity and training students for advanced careers in healthcare. ### Innovations, Trends, and Initiatives - **Social Determinants of Health Screening**: Efforts are being made to improve screening for social determinants of health in emergency departments to address health disparities. - **Social Determinants of Health Market Growth**: Forecasted growth from $5.61 billion in 2023 to $19.83 billion by 2031, driven by increasing awareness and government investments. - **Healthy People 2030**: An initiative that incorporates social determinants of health across five key areas to enhance overall health in the U.S. population. - **Digital Health Programs**: Get Well's initiatives recognized for addressing social determinants of health. - **CMS Health Equity Conference**: Experts discussed strategies for embedding equity into value-based care, emphasizing the importance of addressing social determinants of health. - **Health Equity Index (HEI)**: A CMS initiative that encourages health plans to incorporate social determinants of health into their evaluation processes. - **Community Health Programs**: CHA's Community Health Worker Program focuses on tackling social determinants of health to enhance care for underserved populations. - **Health Equity Initiatives**: Healthcare CEOs are prioritizing health equity and workforce development as key focus areas for 2025, expanding initiatives to address social determinants of health. - **Veradigm's EHR Data Integration**: Incorporation of social determinants of health and mortality data into EHRs to enhance research capabilities and health equity. - **AWS Health Equity Initiative**: Funding aimed at addressing SDoH and improving health equity through technology. - **AI in Healthcare**: Healthcare systems are increasingly adopting AI tools like natural language processing to extract and structure social determinants of health data. - **Digital Screening Tools**: Phreesia developed user-friendly digital tools to ease the burden of collecting social determinants of health data. - **My Minors App**: A feature by Socially Determined that provides insights into SDoH affecting minors, helping organizations address patient needs effectively. - **Routine Screening for Social Needs**: An increasing trend among hospitals, with 61% engaging in such practices in 2023, reflecting a broader trend towards value-based care. - **AI and Data Analytics**: Healthcare organizations are increasingly leveraging AI and advanced analytics to improve patient outcomes and address social determinants of health. - **Get Well**: Recognized for its digital engagement programs that address SDOH, with case studies demonstrating improved maternal and youth mental health outcomes. - **Remote Monitoring Programs**: Innovative healthcare solutions like Brook Health's program that utilize technology to manage chronic conditions and address social determinants. - **Montefiore Health System**: Plans to provide comprehensive healthcare for women of color, addressing HIV transmission and health disparities. - **AI Integration**: Healthcare organizations are increasingly utilizing AI for operational optimization, early disease detection, and addressing health equity by identifying social risk factors. ### Challenges and Concerns - **Health Disparities**: Social determinants of health contribute to inequities affecting access to nutritious food and overall health outcomes. - **Data Standardization**: The need for standardized methods to collect data on social determinants of health to enhance understanding and interventions. - **Inadequate SDOH Screening**: Less than one-third of US emergency departments routinely screen for adverse social determinants of health, contributing to poor health outcomes. - **Data Utilization**: Healthcare providers struggle to incorporate patient-reported social determinants of health into clinical decisions, relying more on prior knowledge. - **Data Collection Challenges**: Healthcare providers face difficulties in collecting social determinants of health information, requiring staff training and integration into workflows. - **Implementation Complexities**: Challenges in effectively implementing solutions to address social determinants of health, including privacy concerns and potential increases in healthcare costs. - **Health Inequities**: Despite progress, significant gaps remain in addressing health inequities, necessitating a data-driven approach to understand and meet the needs of diverse patient populations. - **Healthcare Disparities**: Despite advancements, regional disparities in healthcare access and outcomes remain a concern. - **General SDOH Challenges**: Despite increased focus on SDOH, challenges remain, including a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of large-scale interventions and unclear ROI for stakeholders. - **Access to Care**: Despite technological advancements, barriers such as socioeconomic status and transportation insecurity continue to impact access to healthcare. - **Healthcare Access Barriers**: Issues such as housing insecurity and food access continue to hinder healthcare access for vulnerable populations. - **Inequities in Access to Technology**: Despite advancements in healthcare technology, benefits are not evenly distributed, leading to inequities in access and health outcomes for certain populations. - **Transition to Value-Based Care**: Healthcare providers face challenges in adapting to new models that require addressing multifaceted challenges, including social determinants of health. - **Legislative Barriers**: The veto of California's AB 2250 highlights challenges in addressing social determinants of health through policy. - **Integration of SDoH Data**: Challenges in ensuring that SDoH data is used ethically and effectively without targeting vulnerable populations. - **Resource Availability for Screening**: Clinicians with limited resources feel uncomfortable screening for social needs, highlighting the importance of resource availability in effective documentation and use of HRSN and SDOH data. - **Healthcare Inequities**: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted long-standing health inequities, necessitating urgent action to improve access to care for marginalized communities. - **Language Barriers**: Limited English proficiency patients face significant barriers to healthcare access, leading to poorer health outcomes. - **Regulatory Burdens**: Excessive regulation could inadvertently increase administrative burdens on healthcare providers, impacting their ability to address social determinants of health.