Addressing Social Determinants of Health: A Care Coordination Approach for Professional Case Managers

Purpose: Social determinants of health (SDOH) continue to gain attention as the factors that weigh heavily on physical and mental health. In response, professional case managers need to develop a deeper understanding of the entrenched nature of SDOH, particularly the spiraling and compounding effects of economic, environmental, and social factors on the health and well-being of individuals and populations. Professional case managers are essential to helping identify both the barriers experienced by individuals in accessing and receiving the care they need and the resources to eliminate or mitigate those barriers. These responsibilities should be most keenly felt by case managers who are board-certified and therefore held accountable by codes of ethics to ensure justice and fairness. By embedding greater awareness of SDOH into the case management process—from intake and assessment through implementation, evaluation, and across care transitions—case managers can establish rapport with clients (known as “patients” in some care settings) and support improved outcomes through best practices in care coordination, thus contributing to the Triple Aim of improving the health of people and populations and reducing the per capita cost of care. Primary Practice Settings: SDOH impact individuals across the health and human services, including acute care, subacute care, primary care, community-based care, and workers' compensation. Implications for Case Management Pra...
Source: Professional Case Management - Category: Health Management Tags: Articles Source Type: research