Under‐documentation of social determinants of health in kidney stone patients in high‐risk region

Abstract Background Social determinants or drivers of health (SDoH) provide a broad perspective of influences on patient health. An association between poorer SDoH and worse outcomes for kidney stone disease exists. Many electronic health records (EHR) contain an intake feature to record SDoH data; however, no data exist on the use of this feature among kidney stone patients. The objective of this study is to examine SDoH documentation for kidney stone patients in a single academic center. Methods This is a retrospective review of EHR data from patients with kidney stones over a one‐year period. Data collected included whether SDoH information was documented, type and number documented, and billing codes. Results A total of 473 patients with kidney stones were included in the one‐year study period; 59% had no documentation of SDoH. Of the 41% with documentation, 50% had only one and 37% had all SDoH data entered. Under‐documentation of SDoH also results in potential for significant revenue loss depending on billing and extent of missing documentation. Conclusion Documentation of SDoH was poor in kidney stone patients, with nearly 60% having none and only 15% with completed SDoH data. In a population known to have clinical outcomes related to SDoH, under‐documentation of these data could impact patient care and reimbursement, suggesting that more consistent documentation is needed.