Tag: SDOH

Many of us have heard of “food deserts”, where the only food available is unhealthy. There are No grocery stores, or corner markets with fresh fruit and vegetables, only fast food and dried/jarred/preserved foods functional. However, these days, the more significant concern is “food swamps,” where there are healthy food options — but the number… Continue reading Part Three: Converting Food Deserts to Food Swamps is Not Enough for Public Health

A food desert is defined by lack of availability; in an area defined as a food desert, there aren’t any options for fresh food. But in a food swamp, there is some fresh food — but the number of unhealthy options drowns it out. In these areas, there may be a supermarket or a farmer’s… Continue reading Part Two: Food Swamps – Where Healthy Choices are Drowned Out

What is a Food Swamp? Food Swamps are areas with a high density of establishments selling high-calorie fast food and junk food, relative to healthier food options.  How to calculate a traditional Food Swamp: Traditional Retail Food Environment Index:  Fast Food/Limited Service Establishment + Convenience Stores Grocery Stores/Supermarkets Food Swamps > Food Deserts: According to… Continue reading Part One: Food Swamps Predict Obesity Rates Better Than Food Deserts in the United States 

Health equity is the state where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.  Now is the time for healthcare organizations and others to seize the moment and work to eliminate health disparities methodically. Recognizing health equity as a strategic imperative health disparities across the US are primarily driven by… Continue reading Part Four: How Digital Technology Can Enable Health Equity 

Health equity is the state where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.  With the Health Equity Equalizer Platform, ACOs across the United States use data from feature-rich sources to more effectively identify and address health equity barriers among its patient populations. Lessons learned will help more ACO leaders… Continue reading Part Three: The Power of Local Data in Action 

From New York’s Upper West Side to Los Angeles’ Compton, the reputation of some neighborhoods and the patients who live there precedes them. Family income, level of education, employment status and opportunities, and housing quality (or lack thereof) can all impact the socioeconomic ecosystem of neighborhoods. However, quantifying and even classifying the risk level of… Continue reading Medical Economics: Area Deprivation Index Informs Policy but Misses Mark at Provider Level

With the push for health equity solutions that work, risk-bearing organizations may be left wondering what will function best for them, especially with new regulations this year. Considering social determinants of health (SDoH) as a key component to successfully address health equity is becoming more accepted – even expected – since SDoH contribute significantly to… Continue reading Health Equity Advantages of Dynamic Platforms 

Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Data, compiled and analyzed with health equity at the top of the agenda, are important for identifying problems, allocating resources, and targeting interventions for those who most need them.  But data also have pitfalls and… Continue reading Part 2: Using Data to Advance Health Equity in Your Community