This paper aims to inform the audience about the importance of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) matter. It proposes using Electronic Health Records (EHR) as an effective tool for assessing the conditions of SDOH for each patient. By analyzing and understanding the influence of SDOH on health outcomes, healthcare providers can make informed decisions and implement interventions to address these determinants and improve patient care.
Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) refer to the social, economic, and environmental factors that significantly impact an individual's health and well-being. These determinants include socioeconomic status, education, employment, housing, social support networks, and access to healthcare services. Understanding
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SDOH encompasses various social, economic, and environmental conditions that can significantly impact a person's well-being. These determinants include socioeconomic status, education, employment, housing, access to healthcare services, social support networks, and environmental factors. By acknowledging the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH), healthcare providers can better comprehend the contextual factors contributing to health disparities and inequities (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2020). This understanding empowers the development of targeted interventions and strategies to address the root causes of these disparities and enhance patient …show more content…
These prompts can remind nurses to consider SDOH factors during patient assessment and documentation. Implementing decision support prompts in the EHR system involves integrating alerts or notifications that specifically prompt nurses to collect SDOH data during patient interactions. These prompts can be designed to appear at relevant points in the workflow, such as during patient intake, assessment, or care planning. Decision support prompts can be tailored to fit specific SDOH domains and necessary factors in healthcare settings. They can include prompts related to housing, education, employment, social support, environmental conditions, and other determinants that may impact patient outcomes. To ensure successful implementation, this writer suggests following the best practices and guidelines provided by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) (2023). The ONC has resources that provide insights and recommendations on incorporating SDOH-focused clinical decision support into EHR systems (2023). Thus, by implementing decision support prompts, nurses can be prompted to collect and document relevant SDOH data, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of patients' circumstances and