Learning from Massachusetts hospitals on programs to address social determinants of health

Interviews with Massachusetts hospital leaders and national data sources on hospitals’ social determinants of health (SDOH) programs and patient outcomes, comparing hospitals in Massachusetts with hospitals nationally on their commitment to and investment in these programs, reveal insights on the ROI of SDOH programs. Hospitals increasingly are creating programs to address social determinants of health (SDOH), due to growing recognition that helping patients and employees with food, housing, financial, and other needs can potentially improve their health outcomes. However, limited evidence is available on hospital leaders’ commitment to addressing SDOH, hospitals’ investments in SDOH programs, and the impact of these programs on patient health outcomes and patient experience. Researchers found that Massachusetts hospital leaders expressed a strong commitment to SDOH programs and that having more SDOH programs was associated with higher community benefit spending. There is preliminary evidence that hospitals with more robust SDOH programs have higher patient experience scores and lower mortality rates for key cardiovascular conditions. Efforts to evaluate ROI for SDOH programs will become increasingly important as these programs become commonplace across the United States.