A recent study revealed new and actionable insights to reduce the burden of diabetes for our members.
Overview
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota collaborated with a leading health services innovation company to conduct a whole-person analysis of the impact of social determinants on Type 2 diabetes.
The goal: To identify the most important clinical and nonclinical factors that impact the onset and progression of diabetes in members.
For this analysis, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation SDOH framework was used to connect social factors to diabetes health outcomes to understand how social determinants contribute to progress of disease and how we may intervene before that happens. This framework offers an actionable tool for applied health equity work at the individual and population level.
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The Impact of Social Determinants on Type 2 Diabetes: An analytical study
About social determinants
Overwhelming evidence indicates that social determinants of health make up roughly 80 percent of a person’s health outcomes.1 And 68 percent of people experience at least one social determinant challenge at any given time.2
Diabetes is seventh leading cause of death; burden is unequal
Over the past two decades, the rate of diabetes has doubled in the U.S., now ranking as the seventh leading cause of death.3 The burden of this disease is not shared equally, however. Research has shown that Type 2 diabetes affects marginalized populations unevenly, with the highest prevalence among people of color.4
Next steps
The study's findings have influenced our next steps and informed our enterprise diabetes strategy.
- There is a clear need to address social determinant interventions to lower incidence and severity of diabetes across all lines of business
- We will use this data-driven path to advance health equity and reduce the social and economic burden of diabetes
Note: This analysis focused on Type 2 diabetes, however, this framework could be applied to any disease.
Watch for more research and initiatives designed to increase the opportunity for improved care management, reduced disparities and better outcomes.
There was significant impact of SDOH factors on incidence and severity among the commercial population.
This is contrary to mainstream assumptions that SDOH factors are only significant for elderly and low-income members.