Patient concerns regarding social determinants of health
Information about this website: Following the March 2026 merger of Patient Advocate Foundation and the PAN Foundation, this website is now a part of Patient Advocate Foundation and remains active during our website transition.
Where to find information during our transition:
- About the merged organization: uniting.patientadvocate.org
- Financial assistance: totalassist.org
- Additional direct patient services and resources: patientadvocate.org
- Education: panfoundation.org and education.patientadvocate.org
- Clinical trials education: clinicaltrials.panfoundation.org
- Advocacy: npaf.org
- Research: patientinsightinstitute.org
Social determinants of health are a key indicator in health outcomes
Supporting our patients beyond copay assistance
Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, and work that shape their health, like housing and socioeconomic status. Leaving social factors unaddressed can lead to problems adhering to treatment and poor health outcomes. Conversely, addressing social determinants has the potential to improve patient health outcomes and reduce avoidable healthcare spending. We polled 7,500 PAN grant recipients and asked them a series of questions about six key social determinants to find out their biggest concerns.
Our report
Our survey focused on daily activities, food, healthcare services, housing and utilities, social support networks, and transportation, some of the factors that most closely intersect with our work and patient needs.
The survey found that 72 percent of patients indicated that it was “very hard” or “somewhat hard” to pay for their basic needs, such as food, housing, doctor’s visits, transportation, and heating.
Patients also reported on food insecurity, social and physical needs, and more. Review the full report for our findings, analysis, and recommendations.
Our free screening tool
Based on these results, we created a survey tool with strategic screening questions. We believe that understanding social determinants of health is critical for patient support and improving treatment adherence, so this new tool is available to all patient support organizations. Incorporating even a few screening questions can help organizations better understand and assist their patient communities.