The places where we live, work, learn and play affect our health. Examples throughout this brief show that communities separated by a distance of a few miles can be worlds apart in terms of upstream health factors that result in downstream health outcomes, such as poor quality of life and premature mortality. The more that is known about these places, the better hospitals, clinicians and community-based partners can identify and address the influence of these factors on health. Assessing hundreds of community health and social factors across and within Missouri counties is a powerful strategy for optimizing the allocation of scarce resources to maximize the effectiveness of community health improvement efforts.

READ THE REPORT

Research has shown that addressing both clinical and nonclinical factors of health is an important step in promoting health for everyone. Research further reveals that geography is a better predictor of an individual’s health than is their genetic code. Data derived from exploreMOhealth.org — a platform designed to assist community health stakeholders assess the health of their communities — depicts that disparities in health are evident between ZIP codes separated only by a few miles. Minority groups often are more affected by health disparities than dominant groups.

read the report

A scan of the current policy and care delivery landscape alludes to myriad direct and indirect benefits for providers that systematically screen for and capture ICD-10 Z codes for SDOH on uniform billing and claims records. To improve the consistent use of the codes at Missouri hospitals, this study explores both patient and provider characteristics that contribute to the likelihood of identification and capture of ICD-10 SDOH Z codes during an inpatient hospitalization or emergency department visit.

read the report

Throughout a decade, SDOH have been increasingly recognized as a factor in delivery of, and payment for, patient-centered care. During this time, clinicians and community stakeholders have worked to understand the scope and influence of SDOH. However, as the nation’s health care system incorporated SDOH in care improvement strategies, clear definitions and a reliable measurement system with widely available data have been elusive. This is beginning to change.

read the report