Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Patients with Complex Diabetes Who Are Served by National Safety-Net Health Centers

Abstract

There is still unexplained variability relating to both baseline HbA1c values and change over time in the model. SDHs, such as insurance status and primary language, are associated with HbA1c, and results suggest that these relationships vary with disease status among patients with diabetes in safety-net centers. It is important to recognize that there are complex relationships among demographic and SDH measures in complex patients, and there is work to be done in correctly modeling and understanding these relationships. We also recommend prioritizing the collection of SDH and enabling services data for safety-net patients that would be instrumental in conducting a more comprehensive study.