The divide also represents huge disparities in health. For instance, the average life expectancy in Clayton, just south of Delmar Blvd: 85 years. The average life expectancy in north St. Louis: 67 years.
If you drive around south St. Louis, you’ll find abundant access to grocery stores stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables. In south St. Louis, the median household income is $50,000. A majority of the population has a bachelor’s degree.
In north St. Louis, the picture is different. Many residents live in food deserts, meaning they have limited access to affordable, healthy, and fresh food. The median household income is $18,000. There are higher rates of infant mortality.
This kind of dynamic isn’t limited to St. Louis — it actually applies to a lot of American cities.
The tech tackling cost and quality
With this understanding, providers making value-based care a priority are widening the scope of factors they address to include social determinants of health.
They’re leveraging technology to identify, prioritize, and address a patient’s social vulnerabilities, and they’re integrating SDOH into care plans.
In this tech market map, we highlight companies driving the shift toward value-based care, including those tackling SDOH.
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