Articles
Delivery System Transformation, Care Delivery, Strategic Planning
Hospitals and housing
Wellness and well-being are inextricably linked to the social and economic conditions of people’s lives. Up to 40 percent of health outcomes may be attributed to nonmedical factors like income, housing status and access to sufficient healthy food.
Care Delivery, Patient and Family Education/Engagement, Strategic Planning
Hospitals and food insecurity
As health care moves toward a population health paradigm that focuses on keeping people healthy, hospitals and health systems are recognizing the significance of the social determinants of health. Research by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has shown that only 20 percent of health can be attributed to medical care, while social and economic factors account for 40 percent. To improve the health of the communities they serve, hospitals must recognize and address the behavioral, socio-economic and environmental factors that affect health.