Enhancing Well-being through Data-Driven solutions in Health Research by incorporating Social Determinants of Health in Electronic Medical Records

Social Determinants of Health-SDoH are pivotal factors, accounting for 30-55% of health outcomes (WHO, 2023). Beyond SDG3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), other SDGs directly influence health. Therefore, a comprehensive approach is essential to gather and exchange SDoH data across sectors. This policy intervention incorporates the SDoH Data Elements- DEs that enrich Electronic Medical Record-EMR architecture. Incorporating SDoH is an essential factor that enhances individual data capture and collection for better research on health equity, human well-being, and disease surveillance. A descriptive-analytical study assessed existing DEs, datasets, and metadata within governmental EMRs across 15 hospitals and 13 Primary healthcare centres in the West Bank. These metadata were mapped and reviewed in the context of SDoH availability. By reviewing more than four hundred DEs within EMR screens, only a few SDoH DEs were identified, primarily related to patient address and health insurance type. Moreover, downstream SDoH DEs such as housing stability, living conditions, food security, income, education, transportation, social support systems, cultural competency, behavioural health lacked clear classification. The available EMR metadata characterised as limited to medical and financial orientation rather than public health DEs. One key finding of the study is the lack of clear definitions, contextual understanding, and relationships between metadata elements within SDOH data in EMRs in public hospitals. Additionally, inconsistencies in data standards and formats, challenges in tracking updates and versioning, insufficient user guidance, and limited accessibility further hinder the effective utilization and integration of SDOH data within EMR systems. The recommendations are: adding structured and classified SDOH DEs might improve the real-time alerts and predictive analytics in identifying vulnerable populations more efficiently. In conclusion, aligning EMR design including SDoH with targeted SDG will help future research on human well-being.