Best Coordinated Community Networks Products

Social determinants of health—the conditions in which people live, learn, work, play, and worship—are inextricably linked to an individual’s physical health. Emerging evidence suggests addressing health-related social needs can improve health outcomes and reduce cost. Unmet social needs, such as food or housing insecurity, may increase the risk of developing chronic conditions, reducing an individual’s ability to manage these conditions, which may lead to avoidable health care utilization.

Outside of the traditional role of the health system, the knowledge to appropriately match patients to services in the community is often locked in paper documents, outdated binders, and individuals’ minds. With systems increasingly bearing risk and losing money on treating uninsured, Medicaid, and increasingly, high-deductible populations, streamlining this process and identifying these gaps is an important piece of any strategic plan. Health systems are beginning to invest in partnerships and technologies to identify the right community partnerships and make the connections.