Social Determinants of Health: Addressing Health Disparities and Outcomes

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Video Runtime: 20 Minutes, Learning Assessments: 18 Minutes

Growing evidence illustrates the impact of social determinants of health on health outcomes, life expectancy, and health disparities. Frontline healthcare professionals often lack the education and training required to address social determinants of health in clinical practice. This course, designed for nurses, home health providers, and other auxiliary healthcare providers, will provide clinicians with a comprehensive understanding of social determinants of health (SDOH) and their impact on health status. It will highlight the correlation between health disparities and SDOH, with a focus on the impact of racism and other systems of oppression on disparities in SDOH. Clinicians will be exposed to relevant tools and resources for screening for and mitigating the impact of social determinants of health.

Meet your instructor

Breanna Lathrop

Breanna Lathrop, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, RN, is the chief operating officer and nurse practitioner at the Good Samaritan Health Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where she provides executive leadership and direct patient care. She has spent more than 15 years providing healthcare to individuals and families who lack health insurance. She…

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Chapters & learning objectives

1. Understanding Social Determinants of Health

Medical care and health behavior modifications alone can prevent only half of premature deaths in the US. Identifying and understanding social determinants of health, or nonmedical factors that influence health, is essential in improving health and addressing health disparities. This chapter will discuss the rationale for addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) and the physiologic pathways by which SDOH influence health outcomes.

2. Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities

Disparities in social determinants of health are the result of larger social, political, and economic forces, including racism and socioeconomic status. This chapter focuses on the correlation between racism and the socioeconomic gradient and health disparities. This chapter also provides a brief introduction to implicit bias and strategies to mitigate the impact of bias in the healthcare setting.

3. Screening for and Addressing Social Determinants of Health

Clinicians and healthcare systems can improve the health of their patients by identifying and addressing social determinants of health within their patient populations. Clinicians will be given an overview of validated screening tools used for identifying social determinants of health. This chapter also introduces strategies such as care coordination networks and strategic partnerships for addressing social determinants of health.

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