Long-standing health inequities and poor health outcomes remain a pressing policy challenge in the U.S. While opportunities to advance health equity through clinical care continue to be important, addressing the ways in which social determinants of health (SDOH) increase or decrease the risk of poor health outcomes is critical to improving the nation’s health and wellbeing. This report provides a high-level overview of several strategies to address SDOH and health-related social needs and reviews evidence on their effectiveness in reducing impediments to health and well-being, improving health outcomes, or lowering healthcare costs. The report concludes with a brief review of select current HHS efforts to address SDOH and improve the conditions that impact health among the American people.
This report is being released in tandem with other documents that describe the Department’s strategic approach to addressing SDOH. These documents can be found at Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Federal Programs.
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