Social Determinants of Health have been top of mind for many benefit leaders over the past year. At the core, social determinants are about improving the underlying social and economic conditions within our communities to improve overall health, and in our recently published ebook, we cover the five overarching themes related to social determinants and the tremendous impact they play on overall health.
Now, more than ever, it's become apparent that the amount we spend on medical care does not equate to being healthy. In fact, medical care alone only contributes to about 20% of our overall health. While we see much greater impact from the social determinant factors, and by addressing these factors, we can then begin to take a more holistic approach to patient care.
As we think of these factors, we grouped them into five overarching themes as they relate to our community, economic stability, education, health and health care access, neighborhoods and physical environment, and social and community. It's important to note that at the community level, these initiatives take time, and it's often in need of additional coordination from community leaders, including policy and legislative changes in order to help make these overall changes and improve conditions, all of which can be extremely challenging for employers.
In our next video, we'll talk about how you can turn these community-focused initiatives into more employer-focused individual needs, where you can have a greater impact on your overall member populations.
If you're interested in learning more about social determinants of health and Springbuk’s perspective, be sure to download the e-book we've linked below.
E-book: Social Determinants of Health - A Springbuk Perspective
Jennifer Jones, MSM RD, Enterprise Market Leader
Jennifer Jones, MSM, RD, is an experienced healthcare professional with a background in clinical dietetics, wellness programming, and employer health, and is a certified Corporate Wellness Specialist.
With over 20 years of experience, she has worked in various settings including health care systems, occupational health organizations, and a health and welfare benefits advisory firm. After working directly with patients and employees, Jennifer turned her focus to population and employer health to achieve a greater impact on health outcomes.
