Addressing Social Determinants of Vision Health

Social determinants of health encompass the quality of an individual’s social and physical environment and its effect on health outcomes. Disparities in these social and environmental factors have a significant role in vision health disparities and inequity in eye care. In this review, we discuss how disparities in visual impairment and eye care utilization are affected by each of the five core domains of social determinants of health, namely economic stability (income, employment, and food security), education (education level and health literacy), health care access (insurance and medical costs), neighborhood environment (housing conditions, home ownership, pollution, and crime), and social context (race and racism). Moreover, we describe a framework by which ophthalmologists can take action to address social determinants of vision health. These actionable strategies are guided by recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and have five complementary components to address social needs: awareness (screening for social needs), assistance (connecting patients with social care resources), adjustment (altering clinical care in recognition of social needs), alignment (understanding social assets and collaborating with community organizations), and advocacy (promoting policies to address social needs). Addressing social determinants of health is complex but achievable through collaborative strategies. Ophthalmologists have an important leadership role in addressing eye care disparities by taking action on underlying social determinants of vision health.