Social determinants of health are associated with outcomes in inherited bleeding disorders such as hemophilia, according to a systematic review of the literature that was published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. They may also influence the clinical progression of inherited bleeding disorders.
These findings underscore the need for a multidisciplinary comprehensive care team to address the physical, psychosocial, and emotional needs of people living with inherited bleeding disorders to ensure equitable and optimal healthcare is provided.
According to the authors, naming, defining, and understanding the root causes of the social determinants of health is the first step toward reducing social inequities among people living with inherited bleeding disorders and improving their health.
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It is not clear how social determinants of health such as neighborhood environments and food affect health outcomes for people with inherited bleeding disorders.
Read more about the history of hemophilia
Here, researchers from the National Hemophilia Foundation in New York, New York, and Rush University in Chicago, Illinois, conducted a systematic review of the published literature to examine the impact of social determinants of health on health outcomes in people with inherited bleeding disorders.
The team identified 13 articles published between 2011 and 2021 that included a study population comprising patients diagnosed with an inherited bleeding disorder and at least 1 clinical or nonclinical outcome measure such as bleeding frequency, chronic pain, mortality, quality of life, or cost.
The main findings highlighted the unmet need to reduce the economic burden and increase available treatment options for people living with inherited bleeding disorders.
The authors also found that rural location was a significant contributor to delayed diagnosis that reduced access to care.
“Further research is needed to better characterize the direct impact of the [social determinants of health] outcomes in inherited bleeding disorders,” the authors said. “Researchers should be careful to clearly define the health determinant of [interest] and ensure that the measure is deliberately being examined in studies.”
Reference
Lopez K, Norris K, Hardy M, Valentino LA. Defining the impact of social drivers on health outcomes for people with inherited bleeding disorders. J Clin Med. 2022;11(15):4443. doi:10.3390/jcm11154443
