OCHIN Studies Collection and Utilization of Social Determinants of Health Data Through the EHR

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Oct 24, 2018, 15:30 ET

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In the first of its kind research, OCHIN, combined with its collaborative partners, have published a study that piloted the capture and integration of data on social determinants of health (SDH)— the conditions of an individual's environment that impact their health and quality of life – into the electronic health record (EHR).

"The incorporation of this data is pivotal to the success of OCHIN's mission as it helps us to understand the critical role of addressing social determinants to improve care outcomes across the nearly 500 clinics we serve," said Abby Sears, OCHIN CEO.

OCHIN, a nonprofit health care innovation center providing health information technology solutions that promote quality, affordable health care for all, supports clinics providing care to some of the nation's most complex patients, including low income, racial/ethnic minority, geographically isolated, and other vulnerable populations who are disproportionately affected by SDH.

"This study sheds light on some of the obstacles to SDH collection, and indicates steps needed to improve the outcomes of integrating SDH documentation into primary care," said Lead Research Scientist Rachel Gold, PhD, MPH. "There is still plenty of work to be done in this area, but our research lays the foundation for successful SDH incorporation into the EHR with potential to improve health outcomes."

OCHIN's research team, together with Kaiser Permanente, Multnomah County Health Department, Cowlitz Family Health Center, La Clinica del Valle (Oregon) and the University of California – San Francisco, developed "SDH Data Tools" and worked closely with three pilot clinics to help them adopt these tools in EHR-based documentation of patients' SDH and actions taken by the clinics to address noted SDH needs. Individual patient level data collection in community health centers is a challenging task. Vulnerable, complex patients are hesitant to share their societal hardships. Extensive training is necessary to teach staff successful communication techniques to obtain accurate SDH information.

The study's findings are presented in Gold et al's "Adoption of Social Determinants of Health EHR Tools by Community Health Centers" in the September 2018 issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

About OCHIN

Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit OCHIN is one of the largest and most successful health information and innovation networks, serving over 500 organizations comprised of more than 10,000 clinicians across the nation with solutions that improve the integration and delivery of health care services. As a learning organization, OCHIN started with a commitment to deliver health information technology support and services and has continued to provide its expanding community of customers and partners with the innovative tools, knowledge, and voice needed to participate in the national health care landscape. Learn more at www.ochin.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jennifer Stoll, 503.943.5787, [email protected]

SOURCE OCHIN