Collecting standardized data on social determinants of health to address structural racism, drive health equity and respond to COVID-19

Identifying and documenting the socioeconomic and structural drivers of poor outcomes, health disparities, and higher costs is recognized as a necessary step for providers caring for complex patients and accountable for population health goals. Current events underscore the critical importance of addressing these social determinants of health (SDOH), with populations served by Health Center Program grantees and look-alikes being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and health centers committed to addressing structural racism and health equity. By collecting standardized data on the SDOH, Health Center Program grantees and look-alikes can use that information to provide more appropriate, comprehensive, and integrated patient-centered care—either in-house through interdisciplinary teams or through community partnerships.

In response to a growing demand for training and technical assistance (T/TA) to support the implementation and use of standardized social risk assessment tools at health centers and look-alikes, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), in partnership with the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), have convened various stakeholders representing the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) Health Center Program. This includes the various HRSA-funded T/TA providers representing the 21 National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs), 52 state and regional Primary Care Associations (PCAs), and 49 Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCNs). Given the increasing number of health centers collecting standardized SDOH data, there is a desire for further collaboration on SDOH-related programmatic goals to spread SDOH screening strategies and best practices among health centers. NTTAPs serving special and vulnerable populations, for example, are expected to increase the number of health centers that have received T/TA on screening and documenting social determinants.