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Cover of A Framework for Educating Health Professionals to Address the Social Determinants of Health

A Framework for Educating Health Professionals to Address the Social Determinants of Health

; ; ; .

Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); .
ISBN-13: 978-0-309-39262-4ISBN-10: 0-309-39262-4

The World Health Organization defines the social determinants of health as “the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.” These forces and systems include economic policies, development agendas, cultural and social norms, social policies, and political systems. In an era of pronounced human migration, changing demographics, and growing financial gaps between rich and poor, a fundamental understanding of how the conditions and circumstances in which individuals and populations exist affect mental and physical health is imperative. Educating health professionals about the social determinants of health generates awareness among those professionals about the potential root causes of ill health and the importance of addressing them in and with communities, contributing to more effective strategies for improving health and health care for underserved individuals, communities, and populations.

Recently, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop to develop a high-level framework for such health professional education. A Framework for Educating Health Professionals to Address the Social Determinants of Health also puts forth a conceptual model for the framework’s use with the goal of helping stakeholder groups envision ways in which organizations, education, and communities can come together to address health inequalities.

Contents

This study was supported by contracts between the National Academy of Sciences and the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Aetna Foundation, the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Nursing, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the American Board of Family Medicine, the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American College of Nurse-Midwives, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists/American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy, the American Dental Education Association, the American Medical Association, the American Occupational Therapy Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Society for Nutrition, the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, the Association of Schools of the Allied Health Professions, the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders, the Council on Social Work Education, Ghent University, Health Resources and Services Administration, the Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare, the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, the National Academies of Practice, the National Association of Social Workers, the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates, the National Board of Medical Examiners, the National League for Nursing, the Office of Academic Affiliations—Veterans Health Administration, the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing, the Physician Assistant Education Association, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, Training for Health Equity Network, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and the University of Toronto. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. A framework for educating health professionals to address the social determinants of health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21923.

Copyright 2016 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Bookshelf ID: NBK395983PMID: 27854400DOI: 10.17226/21923

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