Full definition
SDOH (Social Determinants of Health) are the conditions in which people live, work, learn, and age — and these conditions account for an estimated 30-55% of health outcomes. Clinical care alone — what happens during the brief minutes of a clinical encounter — is necessary but insufficient. A patient with poorly-managed diabetes whose food-security situation is unstable, who can't afford insulin, who can't reliably get to clinic appointments — won't improve from clinical care alone.
Progressive healthcare programmes screen for SDOH at intake (using standardised instruments — PRAPARE, Health Leads, others), capture the data in the clinical record, and link patients with community resources (food banks, transportation programmes, housing assistance, employment training). The economic case is strong, particularly under value-based-care contracts: addressing SDOH meaningfully reduces utilisation of expensive healthcare services.
For a clinic platform: SDOH support means patient-intake instruments, structured data capture in the EMR, integration with community-resource directories, and reporting to track outcomes. MOVO-X supports SDOH workflows for clinics that have rolled out SDOH screening programmes.
Where sdoh (social determinants of health) is used
- Primary-care patient intake
- Care-management programmes
- Value-based-care contracts
- Public-health and population-health initiatives
- Maternity / paediatric programmes
- Mental-health programmes
Types of sdoh (social determinants of health)
PRAPARE
Validated 17-question SDOH screening instrument.
Health Leads SDOH screen
Brief screening for community-resource linkage.
Z-codes (ICD-10-CM)
ICD coding for SDOH conditions (housing, food, transport).
Gravity Project / SIREN
FHIR-based SDOH data standards.
Quantified benefits
- ▸Major share of health outcomes — addressing SDOH improves care effectiveness
- ▸Reduced utilisation under value-based-care contracts
- ▸Foundation for population-health programmes
- ▸Patient trust and engagement increases when providers address whole-person needs
Frequently asked
Is SDOH data clinically actionable?+
Yes — when paired with community-resource referrals and follow-up tracking. Capturing SDOH without acting on it is documentation theatre.
Who pays for SDOH-related interventions?+
Varies by funding model. Value-based-care contracts incentivise SDOH investment. Fee-for-service has weaker incentives but the clinical-quality case remains.
Does MOVO-X support SDOH?+
SDOH screening workflows (PRAPARE, Health Leads), structured data capture, and Z-code integration are supported. Community-resource directory integration is on the roadmap.
What about SDOH data privacy?+
SDOH data is sensitive — housing instability, food insecurity, mental-health context. Patient-data privacy applies at full strength; appropriate consent and access controls.
SDOH and AI?+
Predictive models for risk-stratification are increasingly incorporating SDOH features alongside clinical features. Improves model accuracy and equity.