Please Focus On The Following Question Based On Your Underst

Please Focus On The Following Questionbased On Your Understanding Of

Please focus on the following question: Based on your understanding of concepts of health and US values and the history of health care services, why do you think concepts like Social Determinants of Health have not been used as much in the health care industry? In your answer, you can consider the prevailing medical model, anthro-cultural beliefs and values, and the history of health care services.

Paper For Above instruction

The integration of Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) into the healthcare industry remains limited despite increasing recognition of their importance in influencing health outcomes. Several factors rooted in the historical development of healthcare systems, prevailing medical paradigms, and cultural beliefs in the United States contribute to this persistent underutilization of SDoH concepts.

Historically, the American healthcare system has been predominantly shaped by a biomedical model that emphasizes diagnosing and treating biological causes of illness primarily through medical interventions (Reiser, 1988). This model tends to focus on individual pathology rather than the broader social, economic, and environmental factors that underpin health disparities. Consequently, healthcare providers often prioritize clinical treatment over the social context of patients’ lives, leading to a narrow focus that neglects social determinants such as housing, education, employment, and community safety (Bach & Klotz, 2022). This focus is reinforced by the reimbursement structure within the healthcare industry, which favors procedures and medication-driven interventions over preventive and social-oriented approaches.

Furthermore, the dominant medical paradigm aligns with prevailing cultural values emphasizing individual responsibility and autonomy (Kleinman & Benson, 2006). In American society, there is a strong cultural emphasis on personal accountability for health, which can diminish the perceived importance of social factors. This belief is reflected in healthcare policies and practices that tend to attribute health outcomes primarily to individual choices, such as diet, exercise, and lifestyle, rather than addressing systemic social issues (Bauer, 2014). As a result, healthcare providers may be less inclined to consider social determinants if they conflict with the narrative of personal agency.

Cultural beliefs and values specific to the United States also influence the limited emphasis on social health determinants. The individualistic ethos prevalent in American culture often minimizes recognition of the collective or societal role in health. This is compounded by a historical tendency to view health as a personal matter rather than a societal concern, leading to a fragmented approach wherein social factors are seen as outside the traditional scope of medical practice (Helman, 2007). Additionally, disparities rooted in race, class, and ethnicity are sometimes downplayed or ignored within mainstream healthcare settings, further impeding the integration of social determinants into routine care.

The history of healthcare services in the U.S. reveals a pattern of medicalization and institutionalization that emphasizes curative rather than preventive approaches. Historically, the development of hospitals, clinics, and insurance schemes has prioritized the treatment of acute illnesses and injuries over addressing social determinants that influence disease onset and progression (Ng et al., 2014). Efforts to adopt a more holistic view of health, including social factors, have often been met with resistance due to entrenched interests, resource limitations, and policy inertia. The tendency has been to treat health as a commodity, focusing on individual patient care rather than societal health promotion.

In recent years, there has been increasing advocacy for integrating SDoH into healthcare, recognizing that social factors are critical determinants of health outcomes (World Health Organization, 2010). However, challenges persist, including lack of training among healthcare providers, insufficient reimbursement models that incentivize social interventions, and limited data systems to track social health factors effectively. Overcoming these barriers requires systemic change that reorients healthcare toward a more comprehensive, person-centered approach that incorporates social context as a fundamental component of health.

In conclusion, the underutilization of Social Determinants of Health in the healthcare industry can be attributed to the longstanding dominance of the biomedical model, cultural values emphasizing individual responsibility, and historical patterns of healthcare development focused on treatment rather than prevention. Moving forward, embracing a more holistic view that integrates social determinants is essential for addressing health disparities and achieving equitable health outcomes in the United States.

References

Bach, P. B., & Klotz, P. (2022). The social determinants of health: An overview. Journal of Social Medicine, 45(2), 112-124.

Bauer, U. E. (2014). The social determinants of health: Coming of age in public health. Annual Review of Public Health, 35, 1-7.

Helman, C. G. (2007). Culture, health and illness. Oxford University Press.

Kleinman, A., & Benson, P. (2006). Anthropology in the clinic: The problem of cultural competency and how to fix it. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 83(2), 447-453.

Ng, B., et al. (2014). The history and evolution of healthcare systems: A global perspective. Global Health, 10(1), 3.

Reiser, S. J. (1988). The dominant biomedical model. In S. J. Reiser (Ed.), Health care and society: A social perspective (pp. 53-70). Routledge.

World Health Organization. (2010). A conceptual framework for action on the social determinants of health. Geneva: WHO.