Innovative Cerner Solution Addresses Social Determinants of Health, Further Advancing Health Equity

Rhea-AI Summary

Cerner (NASDAQ: CERN) has launched a new solution called Cerner Determinants of Health aimed at tackling healthcare disparities by addressing social determinants of health. This dashboard, integrated into its electronic health record system, helps clinicians identify social risk factors affecting patient health. With studies indicating that non-clinical factors can influence up to 80% of health outcomes, Cerner's initiative is essential for improving health equity. The solution enables targeted outreach and collaboration with organizations like Northern Light Health to better address social needs.

Positive

• Launch of the Cerner Determinants of Health solution to address healthcare inequities.
• Integration into electronic health records enhances clinicians' ability to identify social risk factors.
• Collaboration with Jvion to provide AI-powered insights for improved health outcomes.
• Potential to improve patient care through targeted outreach and community programs.

Negative

• None.

Pandemic and social unrest highlighted long-standing disparities; addressing social determinants of health is a primary approach to advancing health equity

KANSAS CITY, Mo. , Aug. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cerner (NASDAQ: CERN), a global healthcare technology company, today announced a new solution, Cerner Determinants of Health, designed to help providers address healthcare inequities. Identifying social risk factors such as housing instability, transportation barriers and employment help fill fragmented gaps in health and social care. Cerner Determinants of Health is a dashboard and supporting set of tools, integrated into the Cerner electronic health record, to help clinicians pinpoint disparities and suggests goals and resources within the patient’s care plan to help target intervention opportunities.

“Remarkably, studies show that non-clinical factors can impact as much as 80 percent of a person's overall health.¹ Since our announcement at Cerner Health Conference last year, we’ve worked to help clinicians, care managers and leaders understand and address social risk factors across patients and communities,” said Kevin Seabaugh, vice president & Health Network general manager, Cerner. “We are energized to hear from clients who are embracing our innovative solutions to help remediate this 80/20 imbalance and further advance health equity efforts.”

A key differentiator of Cerner Determinants of Health is its ability to identify community-level vulnerabilities and a patient’s social needs. The dashboard within the technology uses combined geospatial, public data and patient clinician insights to provide a view of the conditions in which people live. This allows organizations to provide targeted outreach through community programming. This is exemplified by Cerner client Northern Light Health, who is using the crucial insights to provide help better care at the intersection of a patient’s health and social care needs.

“Addressing health equity and access to care issues is a critical need for us,” said Dr. April Giard, vice president and chief information officer, Northern Light Health. “We can’t truly provide patient-centered, comprehensive care without understanding social risk factors our patients are experiencing. Through use of screening tools and the determinants of health dashboard, care managers are able to engage and build a trusting relationship with patients to identify and intervene on their social needs. Furthermore, we plan on leveraging the dashboard to pinpoint and prioritize areas of vulnerability and create plans to address social barriers for better health across our service lines.”

Additionally, Jvion, a leader in prescriptive intelligence and clinical artificial intelligence (AI), has formed a new collaboration with Cerner to integrate its AI-powered insights on social determinants of health and behavioral health into Cerner products and platforms. This relationship will help provide Cerner clients with a more concise way to identify and address social and behavioral health factors patient risk, while offering context and clinical guidance to adopt for improved health outcomes.

Click here to learn more about this innovative solution.

About Cerner

Cerner’s health technologies connect people and information systems at thousands of contracted provider facilities worldwide dedicated to creating smarter and better care for individuals and communities. Recognized globally for innovation, Cerner assists clinicians in making care decisions and assists organizations in managing the health of their populations. The company also offers an integrated clinical and financial system to help manage day-to-day revenue functions, as well as a wide range of services to support clinical, financial and operational needs, focused on people. For more information, visit Cerner.com, The Cerner Blog or connect on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or The Cerner Podcast. Nasdaq: CERN. Health care is too important to stay the same.

Media Contacts:

Stephanie Greenwood, Cerner Media Relations, stephanie.greenwood@cerner.com

¹Source: 1Hood, C.M., K.P. Gennuso, G.R. Swain, and B.B. Catlin. 2016. County health rankings: Relationships between determinant factors and health outcomes. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 50(2):129-135.

FAQ

What is the Cerner Determinants of Health solution?

The Cerner Determinants of Health is a dashboard and toolset integrated into Cerner's electronic health records designed to help providers address healthcare inequities by identifying social risk factors.

How does Cerner's new solution impact healthcare equity?

Cerner's solution aims to improve healthcare equity by helping clinicians identify and target social determinants of health, which studies show can impact up to 80% of health outcomes.

Who is partnering with Cerner on the social determinants of health initiative?

Cerner is collaborating with Jvion to integrate AI-powered insights into their platforms, enhancing the ability to identify and address social and behavioral health risks.

When was the Cerner Determinants of Health announced?

The Cerner Determinants of Health solution was announced on August 6, 2021.

What are the implications of addressing social risk factors in healthcare?

Addressing social risk factors can lead to better patient outcomes, improved health management, and enhanced relationships between care managers and patients.