Social Determinants of Health Impact Acute Care Surgery Outcomes

This study investigated the influence of social determinants of health on the outcomes of patients needing emergency general surgery or trauma care. The research used patient data from 2017 to 2020 in California and looked at the impact of social determinants of health codes related to socioeconomic and psychosocial factors. The findings showed that patients with documented social determinants of health codes had a lower risk of postoperative death and complications, although they experienced longer hospital stays and had a higher likelihood of being discharged to skilled nursing facilities.