Addressing Social Determinants of Health and Mitigating Health Disparities Across the Lifespan in Congenital Heart Disease

Published: April 07, 2022

Close up of a mother and daughter having an appointment with the pediatrician
  • Improving overall health equity in populations with congenital heart disease (CHD) throughout the lifespan requires recognition of the impact of the social determinants of health (SDOH), systemic inequities, and structural racism on patient outcomes.
  • The future of health disparities research in the CHD population includes both qualitative research methods to identify implicit and explicit bias, as well as Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) to begin interventions that can minimize health disparities with community engagement.
  • In the care of patients with CHD, holistic, ethically oriented care could address healthcare inequities and SDOH by identifying, investigating, and proposing concrete solutions to improve outcomes and create equitable policies.