RISE looks at recent headlines concerning social determinants of health (SDoH).
AHIMA launches SDoH data initiative
The American Health Information Association (AHIMA) has launched a new initiative, Data for Better Health, to increase awareness of how SDoH data can be leveraged to improve health outcomes. The global nonprofit announced the initiative at its annual conference, AHIMA23.
The initiative aims to further engage health care professionals to understand the “business case” for collecting, using, and sharing SDoH data; educate consumers on the benefits to sharing SDoH data with health care professionals; advance policy and promote a SDoH data-driven plan; and support innovation within the health care ecosystem.
The new initiative follows a study AHIMA commissioned earlier this year to better understand the challenges surrounding SDoH data collection, use, and sharing. Key findings identified through the study included:
- Nearly eight in 10 respondents reported that their organization was collecting SDoH data
- There is a lack of standardization and integration of the data into an individual’s medical record
- Insufficient training and education on how to capture, collect, code, and use SDoH data remains a challenge
- There is limited communication between health care providers and community-based organizations regarding SDoH data
“To truly enhance health outcomes, AHIMA is committed to driving change within the health care industry, engaging consumers, shaping policy, and accelerating the use of SDoH data,” said AHIMA Board President/Chair Jennifer Mueller, MBA, RHIA, SHIMSS, FACHE, FAHIMA, in a statement. “Our organization is committed to leading this transformative change nationally while our members act within their organizations and communities.”
Study: Medicaid expansion lowered uninsurance rates in redlined areas
A recent study, published by Health Affairs, found that Medicaid expansion had the greatest impact on lowering uninsurance rates in areas with the highest level of redlining.
Though racist redlining practices that were originated in the 19030s became outlawed after by the Fair Housing Act, which is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, the effect of the residential segregation continues today, creating a substantial racial and ethnic gap in home ownership,” noted the researchers.
For the study, researchers examined uninsurance rate data from the American Community Survey (ACS) from 2009 to 2013 and from 2015 to 2019, Medicaid expansion data from KFF, and redlining data from the Mapping Inequality project.
The study included 11,643 census tracts subject to historical redlining, which researchers grouped into four categories, group one indicating the least amount of redlining and group four with the most. Of the total tracts, 1,928 were in Medicaid expansion states and 1,793 were in nonexpansion states.
Key findings include:
- Prior to 2014, in both Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states, the average uninsurance rates were lowest in census tracts in category one (11 percent in expansion states and 12.7 percent in nonexpansion states) and highest in category four (30 percent in expansion states and 26.1 percent in nonexpansion states).
- After Medicaid expansion went into effect, uninsurance rates dropped 6.2 percent in areas in redline category four.
- There was no significant effect of Medicaid expansion on uninsurance rates in areas categorized in redline groups one through three.
- Average uninsurance rates among non-Hispanic Black adults in category four areas within Medicaid expansion states saw a 5.7 percent lower uninsurance compared to similar populations in other expansion states.
- Uninsurance rates among non-Hispanic white adults in the same areas was 3.9 percent lower than in expansion states.
“Our results add to the evidence that structural racism, not race, is the cause of health insurance disparities,” wrote the researchers. “When implementing and evaluating health policy reforms, policy makers should address not only individual-level factors but also contextual factors such as structural racism.”
HHS grants $16M to create sustainable jobs for individuals with low incomes
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration of Children and Families (ACF), has announced $16.7 million granted to 39 community economic development (CED) projects. The funds will help create more than 575 full-time jobs for individuals living in low-income communities in 26 states.
“Sustainable community development is an issue of equity. By uplifting communities, we are paving the way for economic stability and mobility for households across the country,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a statement. “When we support individuals so they can bring home livable wages to support their families, we give them an opportunity to thrive. The Community Economic Development program strengthens our families and our communities.”
Seventy-five percent of the jobs created within each CED grant will be reserved for individuals with low incomes. Each organization receiving a grant will also provide support services to address individual’s barriers with securing sustainable employment.