Where and how populations live (geography), the characteristics and changes they show (demographics) and cultural backgrounds/perspectives/beliefs (psychography) have a direct impact on the system healthcare. Social determinants are the key factors underlying all demographic trends. Social determinants of health that have negative consequences range from chronic stress to poor nutrition, poverty and inadequate living conditions. Where these determinants are a factor, chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes and asthma are more prevalent. Our current healthcare system is designed to focus on treating conditions and avoiding preventable conditions, but is not designed to evaluate and fund interventions that mitigate the social determinants predictive of poor health outcomes. Johnson (2014) notes that many healthcare organizations hope that new bundled payment models will effectively enable such intercessions where, especially if it is predictable, the failure to intervene and solve a social problem at relatively low cost can help avoid a medical episode high cost of care....
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