Addressing Social Determinants of Health & Health Disparities

Greeting Stewards,

In our forum, we stress how important it is for one’s voice to be heard. But in order for voices to be heard, healthcare professionals must also recognize social determinants of health and the health disparities that affect many groups. Like healthcare stewardship and narrative medicine, addressing social determinants of health and the health disparities involves healthcare professionals who are willing to work for change.

According to the CDC, social determinants of health are defined as the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. As for health disparities, these are defined as preventable differences experienced by socially disadvantaged populations with regard to the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health.

A couple of months ago, the University of Arizona hosted a forum, like PAHS does, to educate and discuss steps that healthcare professionals can take to learn more about and address these concepts. As the article reports, “This translates to a responsibility for practicing healthcare professionals to modify their treatment to recognize and accommodate these social determinants and how they have played a role in the lives and mental/physical health of patients.”

The recognition of these concepts can help aid early detection of certain diseases or illnesses some groups/areas are more susceptible to. It also allows for a better understanding between a patient and provider as well. One of their speakers even said, “If we just try to stay in the house of medicine, we will not really be able to have an impact on the healthcare landscape, because then all we’re doing is creating beautiful treatment plans that just can’ come to fruition.”

The main theme of their forum emphasized the importance, for all of us, of getting involved and playing an active role in our communities. Advocating for ourselves can create needed change, including having a positive impact on social determinants of health. This work resonates with us at PAHS, as we, too, are trying to effect long-term change through active involvement in our community and through advancing communal understanding of health-related concepts such as narrative wellness and stewardship, which in turn can gradually lead to systemic change for all of us.

Finally, registration is still open for our 2022 Forum Series! Registration has been robust and we are so excited and grateful! And we do still have availability throughout the summer, so please see our Forum page on our website if you haven’t yet signed up.

Warmly,

Asheanna