Social Determinants of Health and the Opioid Epidemic
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) has claimed nearly 500,000 lives in the last two decades. With accidental overdoses identified as the U.S. leading cause of death for people under age 50, the statistics are overwhelming.
Local communities are addressing the opioid crisis by filling the gaps related to an individual’s social determinants of health (SDoH) risks. These determinants, which include socioeconomic and environmental factors, as well as individual health-related behaviors, are responsible for approximately 80% of health outcomes. Addressing the SDoH can help to prevent opioid addiction and decrease overall overdose deaths, while improving the lives of individuals with OUD.
This presentation will define key concept relationships, explore evidence-based practices and share how case managers can utilize SDoH to improve patient care related to opioid use disorder.
Learner Outcomes:
The learner will be able to:
- Understand the key terms of “social determinants of health” and “opioid epidemic” and their impact on healthcare.
- Explore the relationship between social determinants of health and the opioid epidemic
- Review current literature for evidence-based practices related to use of social determinants of health to address the opioid epidemic.
Identify the role of the professional case manager in managing patients with opioid use disorder.