- Social drivers of health, food security, access to care, health literacy, housing, transport, critically affect recovery after hospital discharge, complications, readmissions, and long-term function.
- Identifying at-risk patients enables targeted support such as transitional programmes, improved communication, care coordination, and focused interventions for violence-related injuries.
- Enhanced recovery after surgery protocols present opportunities to improve health equity across the surgical care continuum.
Surg Clin North Am. 2026 Jun;106(3):403-410. doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2026.02.011. Epub 2026 Apr 29.
ABSTRACT
Outcomes in surgical patients after hospital discharge are influenced by many factors. Social drivers of health play a critical role in recovery, complication rates, readmissions, and long-term functional outcomes. These include food security, access to care, health literacy, housing stability, and transportation. Solutions to improve outcomes involve identifying at-risk patients and providing targeted support. Examples include transitional programs focused on communication and coordination of follow up, or interventions for specific at-risk populations such as those injured by violence. Enhanced recovery after surgery protocols offer another opportunity to improve health equity throughout the continuum of surgical care.
PMID:42225091 | DOI:10.1016/j.suc.2026.02.011
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