The time is now: Fostering relationship-centered discussions about patients ’ social determinants of health

Social determinants of health (SDOH) – “the conditions, in which people are born, grow, work, live and age” – are strong predictors of morbidity and mortality [1]. Up to 70% of the variance in preventable deaths are attributable to socioeconomic factors such as income and educational attainment, built environment conditions suc h as neighborhood walkability, and unhealthy behaviors such as poor dietary habits, substance use, and physical inactivity [2]. In contrast, medical care contributes to 10-20% of the variance in preventable deaths [2].
Source: Patient Education and Counseling - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: research