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Providers nationwide need to make an organizational commitment to addressing social needs and health disparities, says the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine – and policymakers need to sort out IT infrastructure and reimbursement.

The Health Center Controlled Network’s member organizations serve a disproportionate number of low-income and underrepresented patients, so social determinants of health data is an important component of the mix.

At Health 2.0, HHS Chief Data Officer Mona Siddiqui spotlighted recent efforts, including some cloud-based dynamic data and mapping tools, to link far-flung data for better public health.

What patients want from a healthcare provider is surprisingly uncomplicated. They want convenience. They want quality care. And they want empathy at a scary time in their lives.

Plans are hampered by current CMS policy and provider coding that often does not reflect social needs, Urban Institute report says.

For its 13th annual National Health IT Week, which kicks off today and runs through Sept. 27, HIMSS will be focusing on how public- and private-sector stakeholders can better align information and technology to drive advancements in population health. WHY IT MATTERS With the theme this year of Supporting Healthy Communities, HIMSS will be convening in-person and virtual events – along with White House officials, Congressional leaders, federal and state agencies, healthcare providers and community groups nationwide – to spotlight opportunities to address five key factors of community health: Advancing public and population health Modernizing the public health infrastructure Accelerating workforce development Expanding access to broadband and telehealth Addressing social determinants of health More than 500 different stakeholders, including government agencies, industry and community groups nationwide, are participating, in NHIT events all week long. You can see a full listing of events here and follow along on Twitter using the hashtags #NHITweek, #HITworks, #IHeartHIT or #GovHIT. Be sure to check back on Healthcare IT News this week for further coverage of NHIT Week events. THE LARGER TREND National Health IT Week's theme of Supporting Healthy Communities coincides with our own focus this month on the social determinants of health. So far in September, HITN and its sister sites have explored data-driven partnerships, the impact of social services spending, how AI is helping providers manage SDOH data, and how other new technologies and new ideas are changing the calculous for personal and population health. ON THE RECORD "Advancing public health and population health efforts will be critical to overcoming the problems that drive poor health outcomes and in turn will facilitate supporting healthy communities," according to HIMSS. "Communities must learn how to identify linkages with existing mobile/telehealth/social media technologies. The drive toward smart cities and communities may be most impactful in advancing public and population health, particularly when they are able to interoperate across core health, human services and non-health sector systems." .jumbotron{ background-image: url("https://www.healthcareitnews.com/sites/hitn/files/u2556/SocialDeterminantJumbotron.jpg"); background-size: cover; color: white; } .jumbotron h2{ color: white; } Focus on Social Determinants of Health In September, Healthcare Finance News, Healthcare IT News and MobiHealthNews will take a look at the SDOH and how varied health systems, IT companies, Congress and others are addressing it. Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.

Combining psychiatric and primary care data, including social determinants of health, has also helped reduce ER spending from $2,265 per patient per month to just $875.

The pressure on physicians and hospitals to address social determinants will likely increase, as they've been a focus of payers and providers.

The Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation increased prenatal visit attendance by 24%, reduced early preterm delivery by 27%, and reduced first-year baby costs by 54%.

Two consultants explain how the agility of remote hosting can boost readiness for social determinant of health initiatives – and spotlight the privacy and security concerns that must be prioritized.