Properly coded SDOH information in a patient’s EHR can help providers and health care facilities advocate for their patients’ needs by:

• Raising awareness of what their patients need, if data on those needs is collected, documented, and coded properly
• Collaborating with other facilities, community groups, insurance companies, foundations, and national organizations to push for programs, policy changes, or funding to fill needs identified through SDOH data
• Focusing on SDOH to reduce health disparities and prevent or lessen common health concerns before patients visit health care facilities
• Pushing for local, state, and federal policies and programs that meet their patients’ needs

This also relies on accurate coding and aggregation of SDOH data.