title: Collecting and applying data on social determinants of health in health care settings.
abstract: Despite strong evidence linking patients' social circumstances to their health, little guidance exists for health care practitioners and institutions on addressing social needs in clinical settings. Current approaches to social determinants generally focus on population-level and policy interventions; these overlook individual and clinical innovations within health care that can address patients' social circumstances. This article proposes a framework for how social determinants interventions in the health care system can be construed across 3 tiers-patient, institution, and broader population-and describes ways to collect data and target interventions at these levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California St, Ste 465, Campus Box 0844, San Francisco, CA 94143-0844, USA. gottliebl@chc.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gottlieb
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sandel
authors.forename: Nancy E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Adler
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors