Reports

Social determinants of health, which encompass social, behavioral and environmental influences on one’s health, have taken center stage in recent health policy discussions. While research indicates that greater attention to these non-medical factors may improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs, translating this evidence into actionable recommendations for policy makers and others has been challenging. This report, evaluates and synthesizes the evidence base for interventions that address social determinants of health, with special attention to innovative models that may improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs and that may be applicable in the Massachusetts policy context.