Overview
NACHC focuses on Social Drivers of Health (SDOH) through several projects:
- Training and Technical Assistance for assessing and addressing SDOH
- Implementation of the PRAPARE® screening tool for social drivers of health
- Environmental Health and Climate Change Initiative
- SDOH roadmaps for payment and reimbursement
- Obtaining and elevating stories from the field that demonstrate how health centers and their partners are addressing SDOH needs within their community
- Leading design sprints to explore how health centers and their partners are using SDOH data and community voice to advance health equity and address the impacts of structural racism
What are Social Drivers of Health?
The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, play, work, and age. These conditions are shaped by the distribution of money, power, and resources.
Using clear terms to advance health equity – “social drivers” vs “social determinants”
Social needs. Social risks. Social barriers. Social determinants of health.
These terms are used interchangeably when it comes to describing the strengths, challenges and barriers related to the health and well- being of our communities. But when it comes to advancing health equity, these terms can be confusing, alienating, and even demeaning. When addressing policies, systems, and structures that fuel racial inequities in areas that influence a person’s health, such as health care, housing, and access to healthy food and transportation, “social drivers of health” is more accurate. When using the term “determinants” it can have a sense of finality, stripping individuals of their agency to manage their own health and well-being, and minimizing accountability amongst policymakers and those in power for the social and political decisions that create these inequities—as though struggles to access food or housing are predetermined and thus cannot be changed. Recent research suggests that “drivers” is a more accessible, understandable term that communities prefer.
NACHC is moving forward with adopting the term “social drivers of health” in lieu of “social determinants of health”, as this more accurately describes the ability for policy-makers, communities, and individuals to affect change on the factors negatively impacting health and well-being.
In our work to advance health equity, it is important to use standardized SDOH-related needs data, like PRAPARE®, to understand the factors that result in poor health outcomes. This data is needed to address immediate needs of individuals and families, which can then be aggregated to understand the harmful impact of policies and systems on the health of a community. Using the term “social drivers of health” reflects the National PRAPARE® Team’s collective goal of using SDOH-related needs data with community voice to inform upstream efforts related to health equity while allowing health centers to understand and describe their role in advocating for policies to improve health and well-being in their local communities.
Why Collect Standardized Data on Social Drivers of Health
PRAPARE Screening Tool for Social Drivers of Health
Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks and Experiences (PRAPARE®)
PRAPARE® is a national standardized patient risk assessment tool designed to engage patients in assessing and addressing social drivers of health. The tool is evidence-based, designed through stakeholder engagement, paired with an Implementation and Action Toolkit, and standardized across ICD-10, LOINC, and SNOMED.
NACHC collaborated with the Association of Asian Pacific Health Organizations (AAPCHO) and Oregon Primary Care Association (OPCA) to develop PRAPARE®.
Learn more by visiting the PRAPARE® Website
Question on PRAPARE®? Email prapare@nachc.org
Related Resources
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