Social Determinants Shape Outcomes: Emerging Challenges and Strategic Opportunities

Social determinants of health (SDOH)—nonmedical factors such as income, education, and neighborhood—significantly impact heart failure (HF) outcomes. Key SDOH factors, including food insecurity, limited transportation, and low health literacy, are directly linked to higher hospitalization rates, increased mortality, and reduced access to care for patients with heart failure, particularly among racial/ethnic minorities and low-income populations.

This session will describe important SDOH and their impact on heart failure. Additional discussions will explore the relationship between individual- and community-level social determinants of health and access to care, utilizing the Healthy People 2030 framework. The panel discussion will be framed around solutions to SDOH challenges to advance health equity.

Learning Objectives

• Detail key social determinants of health (SDOH) that impact the heart failure trajectory.
• Determine common SDOH in patients hospitalized with heart failure and their association with post-hospitalization outcomes.
• Describe the interaction between access to heart failure care and SDOH, using the Healthy People 2030 framework.
• Discuss solutions to SDOH-related challenges.