The Bigger Picture: An Overview of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
The quality of someone’s local schools. How stable their job is. If they have friends and family to support them. What do these things all have in common? They are all non-medical factors that can impact a person’s health. These factors, and more, are Social Determinants of Health (SDOH).
Categories of SDOH
There are five main categories that SDOH factors fall under. Here are those categories and some examples of each.
1. Money & Job Opportunities
Having a steady income, job security, and financial resources
2. Education & Learning
Access to quality schools, job training, and opportunities to learn
3. Healthcare & Services
Being able to see a doctor, get medicine, and understand health information
4. Safe Homes & Neighborhoods
Living in secure housing with clean air, water, and transportation options
5. Supportive People & Communities
Having friends, family, and communities that provide help and support
Why is Research Around SDOH Important?
By analyzing these and other factors, we can better understand their effects. And, we can work to improve or change these factors for a better outcome.
There are many possible positives to changing these factors. Here are a few:
- Cost savings for federal public health investments
- Improved life expectancy for participants
- One step closer to achieving health equity
Palco’s SDOH Efforts
Palco cares about the well-being of the people we serve. Our blog contains resources on dealing with depression, how to navigate IEPs, and more. We also offer Wages Now, a way to receive pay sooner.
But, we’ve taken things a step further. We can screen for SDOH factors in our EVV App. We do this by asking users optional questions, which can be customized. Simply asking “Can you afford your current housing costs?” and tracking the answers can help us make progress toward better outcomes.
More info about this feature will be in future blog posts about SDOH. Stay tuned for more information over the coming months!
