Communication as a Social Determinant of Health

Effective communication leads to improved health outcomes. ?When communication is clear and well-functioning, patients and healthcare providers are more content, thus reducing the number of complaints, medical errors, and patient-initiated lawsuits.?

When healthcare providers communicate clearly, transparently, and effectively with their patients, they can better understand their needs, concerns, and preferences. They can also actively listen and customize treatment plans to meet each patient's needs, leading to positive health outcomes and higher patient satisfaction.

Disparities Among Minorities

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the discrepancy in the social determinants of health among racial and ethnic minorities was nitid. Minorities faced more challenges in accessing healthcare services, food insecurity, unemployment, and education. Disparities regarding access to health information and communication were very noticeable. One study found that a greater percentage of African American (39%) and Hispanic adults (30%) required a lot more information about COVID-19 compared to whites (22%).

A few years have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial/ ethnic minorities continue to face greater challenges in accessing health information. The Internet is one of the main sources of health information; however, a racial/ ethnic digital divide still exists. There is a higher prevalence of low health and digital health literacy among racial and ethnic minorities. Therefore, they are quite often more susceptible to health misinformation.

Another minority group also impacted by health communication disparities is people with disabilities. ?There are individuals with disabilities who depend on various assistive technologies to access information on the internet and often face many barriers to accessing online health information related to healthcare services.

According to the 2021 Census, 42.5 million Americans have a disability. People with disabilities tend to have a lower household income compared to people without disabilities and have lower rates of technology adoption. In a survey, 62% of people with disabilities reported having a computer compared to 81% of people without disabilities.

Suggested Strategies

Continuous communication inequalities hamper racial and ethnic minority access to health information and contribute to poor population health outcomes. To address these communication inequalities, it’s important to take note of the following strategies:

• ?Expand broadband connectivity. Some studies show a significant correlation between increasing broadband access and improved health outcomes.
• Web accessibility. Web accessibility is a must for the inclusion of people with disabilities and wider access to health information.
• Accessible health information. Translate complex health information into an accessible form.
• Establish partnerships. Identify community members and policy levers that can help to ensure that all people and communities have equal access to health information.

References:

Dani D, Agrawal G. Assessing the accessibility of healthcare websites for disabled users: A case study of COVID-19 pandemic websites.?Technology & Disability. 2023;35(2):163-170. doi:10.3233/TAD-221509

Goulbourne T, Yanovitzky I. The Communication Infrastructure as a Social Determinant of Health: Implications for Health Policymaking and Practice.?The Milbank Quarterly. 2021;99(1). doi:10.1111/1468-0009.12496

Monroe P, Campbell JA, Harris M, Egede LE. Racial/ethnic differences in social determinants of health and health outcomes among adolescents and youth ages 10–24 years old: a scoping review.?BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1). doi:10.1186/s12889-023-15274-x

Pew Research Survey about Americans with disabilities - Access it here.

Additional resources:

• Broadband Connectivity - Connect2HealthFCC Task Force’s (C2H Task Force). Access it here.
• Wave Web Accessibility - Find a valuable tool to check the accessibility of a website. Access it here.