External Factors That Affect Your Health
At North Olympic Healthcare Network, our Patient Outreach and Navigation team helps patients meet their health goals by connecting them with the resources they need in order to focus on getting and staying healthy. This process involves evaluating and addressing the social determinants of health (SDoH) in each patient’s life.
Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people live, work, play and age. They can encompass socioeconomic conditions, environmental conditions, institutional power and social networks. (World Health Organization, 2016)
Examples of SDoH include access to housing, transportation, healthy food, social support systems, personal and public safety, and financial stability. Historically, these things have not been part of standard clinical care, but healthcare providers now recognize the profound impact these factors have on overall health.
This TED Talk by Rishi Manchanda, MD, MPH provides a helpful overview of the topic.
If you are a NOHN patient experiencing hardship with conditions of SDoH such as food, housing, or transportation, contact our Community Resource Navigator at (360) 452-7891 ext. 2894.