The Institute of Medicine (IOM) released an April 8 report, Capturing Social and Behavioral Domains in Electronic Health Records: Phase 1, that recommends including data on social and behavioral determinants of health in stage 3 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. IOM identified a total of 17 domains that should be considered for inclusion in all EHRs. The 17 domains fall under the following five categories:
- sociodemographic
- psychological
- behavioral
- individual-level social relationships and living conditions
- neighborhoods and communities
The domains were assessed for their association with health, their potential to improve the health of individuals and populations, and their usefulness to research. IOM will release a phase 2 report that will use more stringent criteria to recommend specific measures for each domain. Several agencies and organizations requested the report, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the National Institutes of Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Please contact Shahid Zaman, JD, policy analyst, at szaman@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0124 with questions.