New AHRQ Views Blog Post – Empowering Primary Care Using Data and Analytics To Build a Healthier America

A new blog post by three AHRQ experts notes that innovations in primary care have the potential to improve patient health by increasing their capacity to address social factors influencing health related to where people live, work and play. Authors in AHRQ's Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement—Arlene Bierman, M.D., M.S., center director; Cindy Brach, M.P.P, senior healthcare researcher; and Brent Sandmeyer, M.P.H., social science analyst— point out that healthcare delivery alone accounts for only 20 percent of population health, and that lack of attention to social determinants of health may contribute to the United States’ relatively poor health systems performance rankings. To improve chronic disease prevention and management and population health, AHRQ has awarded three grants to organizations that will integrate data on chronic disease, social determinants of health and community services to create actionable dashboards to support better management of high-risk individuals and populations. Access the blog post.