Uber Health, the dedicated healthcare arm of transportation giant Uber, has recently announced a partnership with Socially Determined, a healthcare data analytics company. This collaboration aims to leverage Socially Determined’s social determinants of health (SDOH) data to provide a more comprehensive understanding of patient needs and to address healthcare disparities.

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that can impact their health outcomes. These factors can include access to transportation, housing stability, food insecurity, and economic instability, among others. Over the years, there has been a growing recognition within the healthcare industry that addressing SDOH is essential in improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

By partnering with Socially Determined, Uber Health will be able to integrate SDOH data into its platform, allowing healthcare providers to make more informed decisions about patient care and transportation needs. This data can help identify patients who may face barriers to accessing healthcare services, such as those who lack reliable transportation or who live in areas with limited resources. By understanding and addressing these challenges, healthcare providers can work towards improving access to care and ultimately improving health outcomes for their patients.

One of the key benefits of this partnership is the potential to improve care coordination and reduce healthcare disparities. By leveraging SDOH data, healthcare providers can better understand the unique needs of their patients and develop targeted interventions to address those needs. For example, a patient who faces transportation barriers can be connected with non-emergency medical transportation services through Uber Health, ensuring they can get to their appointments and receive the care they need.

Additionally, this collaboration has the potential to support population health management initiatives by identifying and addressing SDOH-related risk factors within the community. By understanding the social and economic factors that impact health, healthcare providers can develop strategies to improve community health outcomes and reduce disparities.

Overall, the partnership between Uber Health and Socially Determined represents a significant step towards addressing SDOH and improving healthcare access and outcomes. By leveraging data to understand and address the social and economic factors that impact health, healthcare providers can better serve their patients and work towards a more equitable healthcare system.

As the healthcare industry continues to prioritize value-based care and patient-centered approaches, partnerships like this one demonstrate the potential for technology and data analytics to drive meaningful change. By integrating SDOH data into healthcare workflows, providers can better understand and address the full scope of their patients’ needs, ultimately leading to better health outcomes for all.