New Year brings opportunity to lead with kindness and trust

Odds find 4 out of 10 people set one or more New Year’s resolutions and for the rest of us, the New Year is more reflective; a chance to rethink goals and perhaps recharge habits we want to keep. A recent conversation I had with Alisahah Jackson, MD , President, Lloyd H. Dean Institute for Humankindness & Health Justice, CommonSpirit Health , reminded me of one more important thing the new year brings – hope.

Her work uses science, data, trust and kindness to accelerate health equity and as she told me, we’re at a truly transformative moment that gives her hope. The data we’re able to use will shine the spotlight on how we can improve life for many traditionally marginalized people – for health care as well as education, justice and so many other pieces that make up our community fabric. Below are highlights from our conversation.

Universal screening for SDOH is essential, so don’t just screen who you think may need help. In some cases, 10-20% of patients screen positive for social needs regardless of the community they were from. That data is shared with key partners and frontline staff. For partners, data helps assess and address needs. One example of how this plays out: An area food bank didn’t have capacity for additional referrals. The health system and food bank partnered differently, sharing data that helped the food bank in conversations about how to best grow in some cases using that data to apply for grants.

For caregiver teams, this is a shift in how we think about health. They are not used to addressing housing or food insecurity or transportation challenges and how can organizations best support caregivers to help patients? CommonSpirit has been very intentional, centering this work around human kindness so questions are asked with empathy. There are very valid reasons some patients fear these questions, so patient education on why the question is being asked and respectful acceptance when patients refuse to answer have been key.

Social need isn’t only food, housing or transportation. Across all ages, more people today report experiencing loneliness. Science tells us being lonely is the equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. We’re thinking through how we can create, grow, and support resources to address this need.

HI professionals are key to this work.

HI professionals bring a different perspective, and one that is badly needed. They know the data; how to collect it; how to analyze it; how to create actionable insights for caregivers. This work is very complex, and that data-driven perspective helps push innovation – for example, being thoughtful about a tech-approach to mitigate bias in AI solutions. Perhaps more fundamental, HI teams can help leverage data to accelerate policy and regulatory requirements and encourage health IT vendor partners, to share best practices from across the field.

Lead with kindness and trust.

The Lloyd H. Dean institute leverages the science of kindness, compassion, empathy, and trust to advance social justice. There are decades of science around these things, both outside healthcare and inside the healthcare delivery system. Patients who have a trusted relationship with their physician are more adherent to medication and care plans. They have better outcomes.

When it comes to SDOH, those same concepts apply. ?As we work to get to get at the heart of someone’s lived experience, we must lead with kindness and trust. When asking questions, we must be thoughtful and empathetic. And, in this new year and always, we must put ourselves in our patients and communities’ shoes and listen to them.

?To hear this conversation with Dr. Jackson, visit: https://vimeo.com/890421586

?To learn more about the AHIMA Data for Better Health? initiative, resources and opportunities to engage visit: www.dataforbetterhealth.com