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Social determinants of health impact people’s well-being and quality of life. These social determinants—conditions such as access to nutrition, safe and affordable housing, jobs, transportation, and access to health care—are some of the factors that lead to disparities in health and health care if they are not addressed.
“Defining and assessing social determinants of health really invites clinicians, educators, and researchers to embrace a broader understanding of health in the social context, beyond perhaps narrowly defined or focused biomedical factors,” explains Dr. Young Juhn, a Professor of Pediatrics at Mayo Clinic, director of the artificial intelligence (AI) program for the Department of Pediatrics, and Research Chair of Mayo Clinic Health System. “So, it’s really defined as situations or conditions that are taking place in daily living, impacting a broader range of health outcomes, functioning, and quality of life.”