Social determinants of health
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. The SDOH include Economic Stability, Education Access & Quality, Healthcare Access & Quality, Neighborhood & Built Environment, as well as Social & Community Context.
When we think about our mission to serve patients, we consider our patients holistically and in their unique contexts. One way to think about the social determinants of health is to look around you and consider the aspects of your life that impact how healthy you are. These include your access to healthy foods, safe spaces to enjoy the outdoors and breathe clean air, the ability to seek quality medical care when you need it, and so on. For instance, living in a food desert without access to a grocery store with healthy foods might result in reliance on processed or fast foods. This lack of nutrition could cause individuals in this situation to experience such health challenges as diabetes, obesity, or
heart disease.
