Social determinants of health is a bit of a buzzword floating around the health care industry—but what exactly does it mean?
Social determinants of health (SDOH) are “the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks” (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion). Basically, SDOH are anything that can impact a person’s health outside of genetic makeup.
But why does this matter? According to the National Cancer Institute, less than 10% of cancers have a hereditary component—the rest are born out of our environment. Research published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine suggests that more than 80% of health care disparities are caused by SDOH
Here are some examples of common SDOH:
- Housing stability
- Access to transportation
- Education
- Food security
- Health insurance
- Income level and employment status
- Access to clean water
- Air quality
- Internet connection
- Physical proximity to health care
- Spoken languages
Each and every one of these determinants can impact a person’s ability to access high quality health care, thus also affecting their quality of life. LifeCare Alliance Cancer Services addresses 7 of these 11 SDOHs, along with many others.
“When we think about cancer patients and helping to get them through treatment, it’s not just about the immediate need,” says Christin Brown, Director of Cancer Services at LifeCare Alliance. “It’s about all their needs as a person.”
SDOH can affect health outcomes around cancer in many ways. Consider:
- If Jonathan has less education around carcinogens, he may be more likely to be unknowingly exposed. Jonathan may know that sunscreen prevents sunburn, but not that it also prevents skin cancer. Since he doesn’t burn easily, he never wears it, even on long days outside, thus increasing his risk for cancer.
- If Rhonda doesn’t have health insurance, she may not be up to date on her mammograms. Mammograms are key for catching breast cancer at an early stage, when it is more treatable. Stage one and two breast cancer have an over 90% five year survival rate, compared to stage IV which has a 25% survival rate (Cancer Research UK).
- If Luis has cancer but no reliable transportation, he cannot make all his appointments, thus making it less effective.
- If Layla has to choose between paying the rent for their family’s housing and her cancer medication, she will likely neglect their treatment.
- If Nila’s family doesn’t have internet access, like the one in five Franklin County households, she is less likely to schedule follow up care and follow directions from her health care provider simply because she cannot access her electronic records (The Ohio State University).
“Social determinants of health are actually going to be huge factors in whether a patient follows through with treatment or not,” says Kathy Magee, a nurse practitioner at LifeCare Alliance. “If you can’t take the medicines prescribed, if you can’t pay for the meds, if you don’t have the health literacy to understand what’s being told to you, or if you don’t have access to healthy food, then your outcome is going to be a lot less favorable.”
So how can we address SDOH? By supporting services that address these gaps in health care, like LifeCare Alliance Cancer Services. We look at all aspects of a patient’s treatment, working to provide support so that patients can receive equitable health care. To find out more, check out our website or read more of our articles from this month’s newsletter.
Additional Articles from the October 2024 Newsletter
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