ADDRESSING HEALTH DISPARITIES: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS AND INTERVENTIONS

This chapter emphasizes the critical role of Community Health Assessments (CHAs) in addressing health disparities and inequities. It highlights the necessity of using CHA data to identify and tackle differences in health outcomes among various population groups, with a focus on racial and ethnic minorities, low-income populations, and disparities between rural and urban areas. The chapter also discusses the importance of incorporating mental health metrics into CHAs to address barriers faced by marginalized groups in accessing mental health services. Furthermore, the chapter details various data collection methods for CHAs, including primary data collection (surveys, interviews, observational studies), secondary data collection (census data, hospital records, public health databases), digital health technologies (telemedicine, mHealth, EHRs, AI, wearable devices, blockchain, big data), and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). It underscores the importance of leveraging diverse data sources and community collaboration to inform interventions and promote health equity.