Advancing Interoperable Social Determinants of Health Data

The ability to capture, use, and exchange many aspects of electronic health information has greatly advanced with the increased adoption of health information technology (health IT). Yet the use of data reflecting social determinants of health (SDOH) – the conditions in which people live, learn, work, and play – remains much more limited across healthcare. There is a growing recognition across healthcare that by capturing and accessing SDOH data during the course of care, providers can more easily address non-clinical factors, such as food, housing, and transportation insecurities, which can have a profound impact on a person’s overall health.