Reexamining Social Determinants of Health Data Collection in the COVID-19 Era

Abstract

This Viewpoint describes the association of various factors, including demographic factors, disease-related factors, and social determinants of health, with cancer treatment delays among a cohort of patients across multiple sites who had all tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Trends in publication and levels of social determinants of health reporting in Journal of Clinical and Translational Science from 2017 to 2023

“…Finally, the data suggest that COVID-19 may have had a negative impact on the capture and reporting of SDoH variables. This observation is limited to the papers published in the JCTS but warrants exploration as the effects of COVID-19 on the clinical and translational research processes, and the quality of data has been considered in previous research [ 23 ].…”

Artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, and other large language models for social determinants of health: Current state and future directions

“…In AI model development, securing patient-level data is often a priority. 27 Between high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), we see a significant difference in the amount of open-access patient-level data that are availed under each SDOH domain. Table 1 illustrates examples of common SDOH data used in AI algorithms.…”

The Impact of Health Geography on Public Health Research, Policy, and Practice in Canada

“…There are some notable challenges associated with measuring the impact of social, structural, and behavioural determinants of health on populations, including that they are complex, multifaceted pathways with factors that are not linear and may be impacted by variables such as epigenetics and genetic factors, that health effects manifest over long periods and are hard to track, and that it is difficult to access information across sectors (e.g., education, health services, planning, housing) [ 74 ]. Further, when SDOH data are collected, they are not always connected to other data systems at the individual or patient level or available in real-time [ 75 ]. Aligned with Goal 3 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), “To ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” [ 76 ], public health practitioners, researchers, and policymakers seek to improve population health and reduce differences in health outcomes (health inequities) that result from race/ethnicity, geographic location, and socioeconomic position, as identified by education, income, and wealth [ 77 ].…”