Population Health

For much of the history of modern medicine, the model has been that patients go to the hospital or physician to receive treatment.

Momentum for more forward-looking SDOH initiatives is building across healthcare, as stakeholders recognize the key role of socioeconomic factors, environment and community in better health and wellness. But unlocking ROI will take some work.

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.

Dr. Steve Lockhart, CMO at Sutter Health, discusses social determinants of health, why unequal care is among the "most disappointing elements" of the U.S. healthcare system and how to fix that.

Dr. Este Geraghty, Esri's CMO and health solutions director, says the company curates 15,000 variables of lifestyle, behavioral, demographic, geographic and spending data from 130-plus countries that's available through The Living Atlas website.

Launchpad helps streamline access for both vets and their caregivers, coordinating various VA apps in one place and enabling easier sharing of EHR data and access to telehealth.

Countries that spent more on social services tended to spend more on healthcare, even after adjusting for poverty and unemployment rates.

Investments in social care will reduce the cost of medical care, says Dr. Jacob Reider, CEO of Alliance for Better Health.

The money from HHS will help community health centers, rural organizations and others to expand access to coordinated substance abuse and mental health treatments.

Many population health management proponents decry the lack of data that programs need to define them, but deploying the right technologies is also vital to their success.