SDOH Questions Not Asked

Non-medical, socio-economic, and environmental factors, known as social determinants of health (SDOH), can influence 80% of a person's health. Even so, a new Social Health Research survey found that healthcare providers often fail to ask low-income minority patients SDOH questions like, do you have enough to eat?

     The survey included 525 US participants. Two-thirds were Black; the rest were Asian, Hispanic, or Native American. Most were between the ages of 25 and 65. Half made under $30,000 a year. Nearly 30% said their annual income was below $20,000.  

     Most of the participants had health insurance coverage and reported seeing a healthcare provider within the last year. Even so, two-thirds said that a healthcare provider had never asked them about their race, food availability, housing, or whether they felt their neighborhood was safe.

     In 2016 the government issued a medical coding system known as Z codes to help track non-medical factors that impact health. The idea was that public health officials could use the SDOH information healthcare providers reported about their patients to identify community needs,  implement intervention programs, and monitor effectiveness. The overarching goal was to reduce health outcomes disparities in the US.

     Other studies have suggested why many healthcare providers haven't adopted Z codes 55-65. They include a lack of awareness, time, and standards for using the codes. Many healthcare providers are also reluctant to raise stressful life issues with their patients without knowing whether local resources are available to help them.

Even though many healthcare providers aren't using the current ten codes, the federal government is redoubling its efforts. It plans to issue even more Z codes next month to help healthcare providers and communities improve social determinants of health.