Z-Code Health-Related Social Needs and Their Association with Post-Discharge Healthcare Utilization in Older Adults with Heart Failure and COPD

HRSNs documented by Z-codes were associated with increased post-discharge HCU even after adjusting for demographic and clinical factors. The low documentation rate suggests that social needs may be underrecognized in EHRs, potentially limiting their use for identifying high-risk patients and informing post-discharge care. Future efforts should focus on improving Z-code utilization to enhance the integration of social risk factors into healthcare decision-making.