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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there had been much study and focus on the effect of social issues on the cost of health care and the overall health of the population, including the marked disparities in access to care for many segments of our population. In the last year, these disparities and their effects on our patients have widened.
The question before us now is, do we have the national courage, compassion, leadership and unity to begin to address the core issues underlying this problem of equity?
An excellent Kaiser Foundation report summarizes the key categories defining social determinants of health as economic stability (jobs and poverty), neighborhood and physical environment (housing and safety), education, food, community and social context (community and family supports) and health care system (coverage, access and quality).