As physicians well know, so much of a patient’s health is determined outside of the exam room walls.
As providers are held increasingly accountable for the health outcomes of the populations they serve, addressing social determinants of health (SDoH) is becoming top-of-mind for many physicians.
One way to help with this is to establish a trusted and convenient means to communicate with patients and engage them in their health on a continuous basis. Cell phones play a major role in this effort, because no matter what social factors patients face, they’re still very likely to own a cell phone. In fact, 95 percent of Americans own a cell phone of some kind, providing a consistent communication method for physicians and patients. And the rise of mobile-based communication technologies that integrate with EHR systems is helping healthcare organizations and physicians implement key communication strategies that help break down SDoH barriers.
Some ways regular and consistent engagement with patients addresses SDoH include:
- Improved health literacy. Physicians can use EHR-integrated mobile messaging to send patients educational content about specific ailments, or follow-up with them after appointments. They can also make sure the patient understands the care plan and the next steps they need to take in their healthcare journey. Two-way messaging means patients can ask relevant follow-up questions, and physicians can send relevant images or videos to help guide and educate the patient.
- Health literacy is an important social determinant of health that impacts how patients benefit from the health care services they receive, and research has found that socio-economic status and low health literacy are closely correlated. While healthcare organizations and physicians may not be able to directly influence the economic factors that affect patient health, they can address and improve health literacy by providing relevant information at the right times.
- Audience Broadcasts. Allowing Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and other value-based care organizations to customize group messaging is an effective tool to reach and communicate with the communities they serve to drive positive health outcomes through annual wellness visits, obesity prevention, diabetic care and immunization.
- These types of mobile text broadcasts can also direct patients to the local community resources that can help them address the SDoH patients face, such as food banks, housing services or rideshare programs. Broadcast messages can also be tailored to a wide variety of languages to ensure that clinics are communicating with patients in their native tongue, enabling healthcare organizations to drive value-based care through increased awareness, engagement and, ultimately, participation.
- Improved overall patient communication. In a world of increasing mobility, it can be tough to reach patients using traditional methods such as postal mail. However, when they do move, their cell phone and their number moves with them, making it the ideal channel for physicians to deliver appointment reminders, follow-ups and any other information relevant to administering their healthcare.
Housing instability is a strong predictor of poor health outcomes and high healthcare costs, due in large part to higher rates of hospital visits that are potentially avoidable. There are a number of housing programs that help Medicaid members improve housing stability. These programs, along with improved patient communication on the part of physicians, create a one-two punch that can help lower-income patients remain active in their own healthcare as they work to find stable housing, in turn lowering costs and improving the overall health of populations.
There is no magic formula for addressing and improving social determinants of health. There are various needs and social situations that can negatively impact health, and these can differ from patient to patient and community to community. Continuous patient engagement, however, contributes to improved outcomes and provides a fundamentally new approach for physicians to cut through SDoH. Increased communication arms patients with the knowledge they need to stay on track with their own healthcare, as well as guidance on available non-clinical community services that help address social needs, be it rideshare services or housing programs. Patient care is complex, but patient communications shouldn’t be.
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