Harnessing Novel Data Sources and Technologies for the Study of Social Determinants of Health in Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Disorders

Where we live, work, and play can have a profound impact on our health. Our exposure, for example, to racism, violence, and environmental toxins—known as social determinants of health (SDOH)—differs one community to the next, one person to the next, and occurs at different times and places. Yet we often study how these social determinants manifest for individuals in a single setting.

Observing the health of individuals in real time, such as through mobile monitoring, as these factors present, may provide researchers with better data and improve health outcomes. These technologies and data sources can enhance the study of SDOH in epidemiological and clinical research to better address health disparities by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and geography.

Sponsored by NHLBI, this virtual workshop will explore a variety of novel technologies and data approaches for studying SDOH and aims to help researchers better understand the impact of SDOH on our health. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Agenda

Objectives

At the conclusion of the virtual workshop, participants will be able to:

• Review the use of digital technology to enhance and create novel data sources (i.e., sensors, geospatial mapping, and social media)
• Determine how to leverage digital technology and novel data sources in the study of SDOH
• Determine the influence of the digital divide and unintended consequences of novel technologies that widen health disparities by geography, race/ethnicity, etc.
• Discuss implementation strategies to enhance the use of novel data sources by the research community to advance the science of social determinants of health research

Who Should Attend?

• Data scientists
• Digital and technological experts
• Health disparities researchers
• Implementation scientists
• Health educators
• Behavioral researchers
• Federal agency staff
• Policymakers
• Anyone with interest in SDOH

Speakers and Topics

NHLBI Director Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., and workshop chair Garth Graham,  M.D., MPH, FACP, FACC, vice president and chief community health officer of CVS Health, will kick off the event. Keynote speaker Mark Savage, J.D., of the Center for Digital Innovation at the University of California, San Francisco, will discuss integrating SDOH into the nation’s digital ecosystem. Speakers also will cover these additional topics:

• Leveraging current and emerging digital technology to collect physiological, environmental, and behavioral data
• Leveraging data sources to identify and track SDOH, including:
  • Electronic health data
  • Neighborhood violence/crime reports
  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development data
  • School data
  • Geospatial mapping
  • Social media
• Exploring emerging analytics and approaches to track and predict health outcomes related to SDOH
• Examining unintended consequences when applying digital technology and novel data sources, such as:
  • Widening health disparities by geography
  • Exacerbating race/ethnicity health disparities
  • Biased coding of data in diverse populations
• Advancing the science of SDOH by engaging researchers and health care providers to use emerging data sources and technology

Speaker Bios