Using Design Thinking to Advance SDOH Data Exchange Initiatives

The following is a guest article by Sarah Samis, VP, Public Health Products & Platforms at GCOM. Chronic diseases, which most Americans have at least one of, are the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. These ongoing and usually incurable diseases account for more than 80% of hospital admissions, 90% of prescriptions filled, and 75% of all physician’s visits. Two-thirds of all deaths are caused by five chronic diseases in particular: heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Preventing and managing chronic disease is not solely a job for an individual and their doctors, though. The conditions in which we work, live, and play can impact our health dramatically. Disparities in social determinants of health (SDOH)—which include one’s education, social life, and environment, to name a few—contribute to racial and socioeconomic disparities regarding chronic disease as well.  In recent years, improvements in technology and data exchange standards have made real-time sharing of data on SDOH more possible than ever. This data can help public agencies map out challenges hindering the prevention and control of chronic diseases and health disparities—particularly if it’s approached with design thinking. What is Design Thinking? Design thinking is a way to tackle any given problem creatively, almost as a designer would. It’s been used by big-name brands like Apple and Google, in addition to universities like Sta...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Analytics/Big Data Communication and Patient Experience Healthcare IT cancer CDC Center for Disease Control Chronic Diseases Chronic Illness Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Data Exchange Design Thinking diabetes GCOM Heart Source Type: blogs