How Social Determinants of Health Impact Heart Disease

Heart disease causes 1 in every 5 deaths in the U.S., and yet the American Heart Association estimates that 90% of heart disease may be preventable. 

If we want to reduce the rate of heart disease in the U.S., we need to take a critical look at the factors contributing to its prevalence, and the barriers that keep people from accessing preventative care. 

And because heart health is directly tied to a variety of lifestyle and demographic factors, social determinants of health are a useful concept for understanding these issues.

What are Social Determinants of Health? 

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the “nonmedical factors that can influence health outcomes,” according to the CDC.  

These can include everything from the neighborhood someone lives in, to the language they speak, to larger systemic issues like racism and discrimination. Other social determinants of health include: 

• Access to housing
• Availability of nutritious foods 
• Career
• Education
• Income
• Literacy
• Politics 
• Pollution 

‍SDOH have been linked to high blood pressure, inflammation, chronic stress, and excess cholesterol, all of which increase a person’s risk for heart disease. 

In order to treat patients equitably, medical professionals need to understand how SDOH impact each patient’s health and ability to access care.  

Put simply, identifying and addressing SDOH leads to better health outcomes. 

How Social Determinants of Health Impact Cardiology

Many of the risk factors for chronic heart disease have been directly linked to SDOH. Racial and ethnic residential segregation, subjective social status, job strain, social isolation, and perceived discrimination all have associated cardiovascular risk factors.  

If we want to reduce the rates of heart disease, we must take into account all circumstances and factors at play, such as SDOH, that can lead us to a more patient-centered approach to care. 

These issues are more pressing than ever now, as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) now require healthcare organizations to screen for five SDOH areas and associated risk factors: Food insecurity, interpersonal safety, housing insecurity, transportation insecurity, and utilities. 

How Value-Based Care Can Help 

Even when cardiologists understand SDOH, traditional healthcare models make it difficult to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care. A value-based care model, on the other hand, can make it easier to deliver preventative, individualized care that takes SDOH into account. 

Value-based care models are designed to incentivize improved quality of care, rather than increased quantity of services. In other words, the amount healthcare providers are reimbursed is directly tied to patient care quality and outcomes.  

Under these models, providers are often able to spend more time with each patient, and they are empowered to focus on preventative care that considers SDOH.  

Studies also show that focusing on reducing SDOH through value-based care models can generate millions in both savings and revenue for healthcare stakeholders.

When using Chamber to make the transition to value-based care, cardiologists gain access to care team support and software that directly addresses SDOH. Chamber’s platform helps providers identify key risk factors and care gaps to help make sure providers are delivering whole-person care. 

Make the Switch to Value-Based Care Today 

At Chamber, we recognize that cardiologists may not feel equipped to make the transition to value-based care on their own. This is why we’ve directly positioned ourselves to help you  seamlessly access value-based care contracts, while also providing the tools you need to hit your targets. 

We’ll supply end-to-end support throughout the patient journey, complement your existing EHR with our own platform, deliver preventative and guideline-recommended care insights, and give you comprehensive results and analytics. 

If you’re ready to try our free solution and make the switch, fill out this form today to get started. We’re looking forward to connecting!