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. 2018 Apr;37(4):585-590.
doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1252.

Integrating Data On Social Determinants Of Health Into Electronic Health Records

Michael N Cantor  1 , Lorna Thorpe  2
Affiliations

Integrating Data On Social Determinants Of Health Into Electronic Health Records

Michael N Cantor et al. Health Aff (Millwood). 2018 Apr.

Abstract

As population health becomes more of a focus of health care, providers are realizing that data outside of traditional clinical findings can provide a broader perspective on potential drivers of a patient's health status and can identify approaches to improving the effectiveness of care. However, many challenges remain before data related to the social determinants of health, such as environmental conditions and education levels, are as readily accessible and actionable as medical data are. Key challenges are a lack of consensus on standards for capturing or representing social determinants of health in electronic health records and insufficient evidence that once information on them has been collected, social determinants can be effectively addressed through referrals or other action tools. To address these challenges and effectively use social determinants in health care settings, we recommend creating national standards for representing data related to social determinants of health in electronic health records, incentivizing the collection of the data through financial or quality measures, and expanding the body of research that measures the impact of acting on the information collected.

Keywords: Determinants Of Health; Information Technology; Safety-Net Systems.

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Comment in

  • Patient Data On Social Determinants Of Health.
    Park EY. Park EY. Health Aff (Millwood). 2018 Aug;37(8):1340-1341. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0672. Health Aff (Millwood). 2018. PMID: 30080462 No abstract available.
  • Patient Data: The Authors Reply.
    Cantor MN, Thorpe L. Cantor MN, et al. Health Aff (Millwood). 2018 Aug;37(8):1341. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0673. Health Aff (Millwood). 2018. PMID: 30080473 No abstract available.

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