Integrating SDOH in clinical workflows with quality of life (QoL) measures provides a more complete view of patient needs and helps improve health outcomes and SDoH across diverse communities.
Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
Social determinants of health (SDOH) refer to the non-medical social factors affecting health outcomes across populations. These include the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, and are shaped by the distribution of money, power, and resources at global, national, and local levels. Key examples of SDOH include:
- Income and social protection
- Education
- Employment and job security
- Working conditions
- Food security
- Housing and environment
- Early childhood development
- Social inclusion and non-discrimination
- Access to healthcare services
SDOH data collection is the factual information that can result in future systematic health inequalities, such as unfair and avoidable differences in individual health status. Analyzing patterns in SDOH data collection helps identify disadvantaged populations and how public health factors disproportionately affect them.
And what has to be initiated involves a strong commitment to improving daily living conditions, tackling the inequitable distribution of power, money, and resources, then measuring and understanding the impact of actions taken to address these determinants.
Quality of Life (QoL) Measures
Quality of life measures, particularly health-related quality of life (HRQoL), focus on the patient’s perspective and the impact of health conditions and chronic diseases on their daily lives. HRQoL includes physical and mental health perceptions, functional status, social support, and socioeconomic status.
It is a subjective measure that reflects the individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of their culture and value systems.
HRQoL is often assessed using standardized questionnaires, such as the EuroQol five-dimensional (EQ-5D) scale, which measures five domains: death and duration of life, impairment, health perceptions, opportunity (capacity for health), and functional status.
These measures provide insights into the physical, mental, social, and emotional aspects of health, offering a more comprehensive view of a patient’s well-being than traditional clinical measures.
Key Differences
| Category | SDOH (Social Determinants of Health) | QoL Measures (Quality of Life) |
|---|---|---|
| Focus and Scope | Broad and systemic; focuses on external conditions and societal factors influencing health outcomes. | Individual and subjective; focuses on personal impact of health conditions on daily life and well-being. |
| Measurement Tools | Collected via surveys, census data, and demographic tools to assess factors like income, education, housing. | Collected through standardized questionnaires and patient-reported outcomes covering physical, mental, and social health. |
| Application | Informs public health policies, addresses health inequities, and improves social factors affecting health and broader public health factors. | Used in clinical settings to understand patient experiences, guide treatment decisions, and improve individual care. |
| Impact on Health | Indirect impact by shaping the environment and opportunities that affect overall health outcomes. | Directly reflects a patient's health status and its effect on daily life, offering feedback on health interventions. |
In summary, while both SDOH and QoL measures are essential for a comprehensive understanding of health, they serve different purposes and require different approaches.
Social determinants of health addresses the broader social and economic factors affecting health, whereas QoL measures focus on the individual’s subjective experience of their health conditions and well-being.