AHIMA Launches Social Determinants of Health Data Initiative

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) announced its Data for Better Health initiative, which aims to revolutionize healthcare through the use of social determinants of health (SDOH) data, this week at the organization’s annual conference, AHIMA23.

Citing insights from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, AHIMA notes that 20 percent of an individual’s health is related to healthcare access and quality, while the remaining 80 percent depends on SDOH like education, environment, or job status.

Through the initiative, AHIMA aims to help empower providers, policymakers, and the public with the resources and knowledge needed to effectively leverage SDOH data to improve health outcomes.

The AHIMA Data for Better Health initiative’s goals involve engaging those in the healthcare workforce to help improve SDOH data collection, use, and sharing; educating consumers on the value of sharing SDOH data with healthcare professionals; promoting a “data-driven SDOH advocacy agenda” to advance policy; and supporting innovation in the healthcare sector related to SDOH best practices and new models.

The initiative’s announcement follows a study commissioned by AHIMA and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago investigating the collection, integration, and use of SDOH data.

The research revealed that healthcare professionals often have insufficient training to effectively capture, collect, code, and utilize SDOH data. Further, there was evidence of a lack of standardization and integration of SDOH data into individual medical records, even when those data were collected by an organization.

The study also highlighted that the use of SDOH data to enhance communication between healthcare providers and community-based referral organizations was limited.

These gaps were also exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted a variety of healthcare disparities in the United States and worldwide.

However, AHIMA underscores that the federal government is increasingly interested in SDOH’s role in improving health equity, while payers are integrating health equity into their value-based payment models.

This growing interest in SDOH and health equity has presented AHIMA with an opportunity to guide action and policymaking in the field.

“To truly enhance health outcomes, AHIMA is committed to driving change within the healthcare industry, engaging consumers, shaping policy, and accelerating the use of SDOH data,” said Jennifer Mueller, MBA, RHIA, SHIMSS, FACHE, FAHIMA, the AHIMA board president and chair, in the press release. “Our organization is committed to leading this transformative change nationally while our members act within their organizations and communities.”