Concept Coverage of SNOMED CT in Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health are major factors influencing individual’s health status, disease occurrence, and access to healthcare. However, limitations in the structured representation of social determinants of health using standardized terminologies hinder their use in nursing practice. The study aimed to identify items and value sets related to social determinants of health from existing conceptual frameworks and literatures and to examine the coverage of these concepts in the SNOMED CT. A literature review of 4 major conceptual frameworks and reports was conducted to extract relevant items and value sets. The identified concepts were mapped to SNOMED CT, and the concept coverage was evaluated. A total of 645 items and value sets were identified, of which 538 (83.4%) were successfully mapped, and 417 (73.0%) were semantically exactly matched. The results provide a standardized and interoperable reference for documenting social determinants of health, enabling systematic assessment of patients’ social risk factors and supporting clinical decision-making and nursing interventions in both clinical and community settings.