The Social and Economic Factors that Drive Healthcare Services

Non-clinical drivers of health, often referred to as social determinants of health (SDoH), are factors that impact overall health and wellness, and ultimately health outcomes. In this episode of FedHealthIT’s Keeping IT Brief podcast, Kaajal Singh discusses how non-clinical drivers of health can affect patient decisions and overall health, opportunities to better support clinicians, and steps industry leaders are taking to address SDoH.

Singh lays out three key opportunities for payers and providers:

1. Ensure clinicians have the essential data, analytics, and tools necessary to assess and prioritize the non-clinical needs of their patients.
2. Build the right infrastructure to take meaningful action, including resources and community-based support to immediately engage with people in need.
3. Invest in non-clinical interventions that fundamentally shift the way providers and payers define value.

Ultimately, clinicians need to be empowered, at the bedside, to understand what their patient’s biggest non-clinical needs are. And data is at the heart of it all, driving the right insights and decisions based on the demonstrated ability to improve outcomes and reduce overall healthcare expenditures over time.

Listen to the Podcast