Anti-Racism and Social Determinants of Health

The more family physicians can understand a patient’s social, physical and behavioral needs, the better able they are to provide high-quality, individualized treatments that lead to better health outcomes.

As family physicians know, there’s more to patient care than reviewing numbers on a chart. Social determinants of health and the presence of racism in healthcare are among the factors that can have the greatest impact on patient adherence to medical advice, perceived quality of care and health outcomes. Where patients live, education levels, past and present traumas, access to transportation, the availability of healthy food, and past experiences with a healthcare professional — all of these factors can impact how patients follow their doctor’s advice and feel about the care they receive.

To give family physicians tools and strategies to effectively address social determinants of health and counter longstanding misconceptions about race and medicine, the Academy has developed Beyond the Surface and The Anti-Racist Family Physician action guides. Clinicians are encouraged to share these resources with other members of their health care team, and to access additional resources available here and elsewhere on AAFP.org.

Action Guides

Member Voices

Hear from AAFP members as they discuss the ways the EveryONE project and Action Guides have been helpful with their work.

"Even if you're someone who's practicing in an area that's not maybe racially diverse, these different techniques that you're going to find can be used across the board. So, if it's socioeconomic status, gender, ability status, nationality, religion – you have space to use these practices."

Christen Johnson, MD, MPH, FAAFP

"Diversity starts from the top. If you have your leadership embedded and invested in ensuring that you have identified diversity within your office, within your community – then everyone else will jump on board."

Ada Stewart, MD, FAAFP

"Where the EveryONE Project has really been helpful is teaching my residents about underserved communities and teaching them about communities that need extra support. Oftentimes we get so incredibly bogged down in the medicine that we sort of forget about the things outside of our patients' lives that are preventing them from attainting good health."