An evaluation of orthopaedic nurse preparedness to address the 2024 CMS and Joint Commission SDOH requirements

Orthopaedic nurses play a pivotal role in the collection of social determinants of health (SDOH) data. Therefore, it is crucial to determine orthopaedic nurses' preparedness to address the new SDOH mandates put forward by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission (TJC). This study examines nurse awareness and understanding of the new CMS and TJC SDOH requirements for orthopaedic practices. A total of 100 nurses from the National Association of Orthopedic Nurses were electronically surveyed regarding their preparedness for the new CMS and TJC SDOH requirements. Knowledge assessment revealed that 63% of nurses could correctly identify the SDOH domains of the new CMS requirements and 47% of nurses could correctly identify one of the major TJC SDOH mandates. Nurses play a crucial role in screening for SDOH but may need more education regarding the CMS and TJC SDOH mandates.