Ricketts, Natasha. Social determinants of health influence on re-admittance rates and mortality for the congestive heart failure patient: a systematic review. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-023k-6838
DescriptionPurpose of Project: The objective of this systematic review was to examine the available evidence on Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) (specifically, poverty/income and health literacy) to determine their influence on readmission and mortality rates in the cardiovascular-disease population.
Methodology: The standard Joanna Brigg Institute (JBI) approach was used to perform this systematic review. Critical appraisal and data extraction were performed by two reviewers working independently using the JBI SUMARI database.
Results: The results of this review provided a greater understanding of the scope of healthcare determinants in society, including race, which is tied to economic issues. Among patients with heart failure over the age of 65 years, poverty was found to most influence readmittance rates and mortality rates, and a correlation was seen between low socioeconomic status and poor health literacy. Race was also a contributor as Black people tended to live in more impoverished areas and experienced higher readmission and mortality rates than White people living in the same area.
Implications for Practice: Clinical Practice: Practitioners performing a full assessment of how social determinants of health affect patient treatment and intervention can help patients maintain health positively. Healthcare Policy: Experts who develop relevant healthcare policies understand the social determinants of health affecting a population/ and or individual. Quality and Safety: The study revealed the importance of ensuring that professional healthcare workers offer high-quality healthcare services to their patients and engage in activities that ensure safety for their patients. Education: Awareness of general health influences individuals to live a healthy lifestyle that positively impacts their overall health. Healthcare professionals understand the importance of educating patients about disease management, but the outcome depends on patients' health literacy. Proper disease management is an effective intervention strategy to help enhance healthier living.