News: Top three challenges to collecting SDOH data identified in new study

Quality measures for five social determinants of health (SDOH) domains are currently included or proposed in 21 federal programs, initiatives, or guidance documents, but more progress is needed, HealthLeaders reported. According to a new study published in Health Affairs, the top three challenges for health plans and other entities to gather SDOH data are:

• Health plan coding practices
• Health plan data storage, extraction, and mapping
• Systemwide considerations

The qualitative study was split into two parts, the first study focusing on screening and intervention for utility insecurity and the second study on screening and intervention for social isolation, loneliness, and inadequate social support. Eight health plans serving Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial populations across the United States were chosen to participate based on their expertise with quality reporting, availability to participate, and active collection of SDOH-related data for their members. Researchers conducted group interviews with two to five employees from each health plan, where information on challenges and potential solutions was collected.

Study participants reported differing abilities to extract data from the three standardized code sets used to submit Health Effectiveness Information Data Set (HEDIS) measures, which is necessary to receive National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation. Most health plans could report Z codes, but these are not currently allowed by the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS). They said financial incentives may help standardize coding practices.

Less than 38% of health plans reported having automation capabilities to map SDOH data from their electronic health records. When using a new measure by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) called Social Need Screening and Intervention (SNS-E), most plans could report screening indicators but not interventions.

Based on the interviews, the study surmised the following systemwide opportunities for improvements:

• Operationalizing SDOH data queries
• Strengthening interoperability between health plans and providers
• Facilitating referrals between health plans and community resources

“Further research is needed to explore additional codes, mechanisms for collecting SDOH data in a patient-centric manner, and ensuring that health plans, health care systems, and community partners can align with national measurement initiatives. Standardizing these data will be key to improving outcomes for all,” study authors wrote.

Editor’s note: To read HealthLeaders’ coverage of this story, click here. To access the Health Affairs study, click here.