ONC’s recent survey reveals that while 60% of Americans are open to sharing social determinants of health (SDOH) information for treatment, 40% express discomfort. SDOH data exchange is crucial for improving population health, but individuals’ recent experiences with healthcare don’t significantly impact their willingness to share SDOH data. However, those who rated their care quality as poor or lacked trust in the healthcare system were less comfortable with SDOH information sharing. Notably, those with housing concerns felt significantly less comfortable, especially when coupled with negative healthcare experiences, distrust, or discrimination.
According to survey data from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), the willingness to share social determinants of health (SDOH) information varies among Americans. While a majority of the population is open to the idea of sharing SDOH information for treatment, a significant 40% of individuals express reservations about such data exchange.
SDOH data sharing plays a crucial role in enhancing overall population health as it encompasses factors like housing, nutrition, transportation, and education, which together account for up to 50% of variations in health outcomes at the county level.
Interestingly, ONC’s findings indicate that recent personal experiences with social needs do not significantly influence people’s comfort levels when it comes to SDOH information sharing with healthcare providers for treatment purposes. Those who have encountered SDOH issues in the past 12 months seem just as comfortable with their data being shared as those who haven’t faced such needs.
However, disparities in comfort levels emerge based on individuals’ recent experiences with the healthcare system. People who rated their care quality as average or poor expressed significantly less comfort with SDOH data sharing compared to those who received very good or excellent care.
Furthermore, comfort with SDOH information sharing is notably lower among individuals who have little or no trust in the healthcare system and those who have experienced discrimination while seeking medical care, albeit for fewer social needs. For instance, those who have housing concerns are especially less comfortable with data sharing when they’ve had a negative healthcare experience, lack trust in the system, or have faced discrimination.
In a blog post on HealthITBuzz, ONC officials highlighted the significance of these findings, particularly underscoring the lower comfort levels among individuals facing housing issues in the context of poor care quality, healthcare system distrust, and discrimination.
