Social Determinants of Health

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, July 20, 2018:

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Dr. Wanda Filer

On Friday’s Smart Talk, guest host Dr. Wanda Filer, Strategic Health Institute, leads a discussion on Social Determinants of Health.

There are many factors that can influence personal health. These factors are known as Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). Determinants can include race, education level, TV habits, marital status, net worth, access to healthy food and employment, amongst many others.  

How can we better understand what affects health? How can this information be used to improve inequalities within communities in the region? Can funding from programs like Medicaid help improve housing, transportation and food security and thereby improve an individual or family’s health outlook?

Social Determinants may also impact your health insurance. Earlier this week, a report on Morning Edition explained how health insurers are utilizing details through social media to determine your rates.

On Friday’s Smart Talk, guest host Dr. Wanda Filer will be joined by Leesa Allen, Executive Deputy Secretary at Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Dr. Margot Savoy, Chair and Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Temple University, current national chair of the Commission doing the EveryONE project, and Dr. Steven Woolf, Director Emeritus of the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University.

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Leesa Allen, Dr. Steven Woolf and Dr. Margot Savoy

Additional reading on this topic: