How do social determinants of health influence interprofessional care planning and execution?

• A. They affect access, adherence, and outcomes; teams coordinate to address barriers like housing, transportation, literacy, and finances.
• B. They have no impact on care planning or outcomes.
• C. They are purely socioeconomic factors and do not affect health outcomes.
• D. They can be fully controlled by clinicians in hospital.

Answer: (A)

Social determinants of health shape whether people can access care, follow through with treatment, and achieve good outcomes. When an interprofessional team plans care, they actively consider barriers outside the medical condition—things like housing stability, transportation, food security, income, education and health literacy, language, and social support. The plan then becomes broader than clinical treatment: social workers might connect a patient with housing or financial resources, nurses and case managers arrange transportation for appointments, pharmacists suggest affordable medication options, and educators provide plain-language, culturally appropriate instructions or connect the patient with interpreter services. By aligning medical care with these real-world factors, the team improves access, adherence, and, ultimately, health outcomes. Clinicians can influence and mitigate many of these barriers, but they cannot fully control social conditions within the hospital; the goal is to address them collaboratively through community resources and tailored support.