Identifying social determinants (drivers) of health using AOTA’s occupational profile template

Research shows that social determinants can be more important than health care or lifestyle choices in influencing health (World Health Organization, 2019). As occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) work to increase engagement in meaningful participation for clients and populations, leaving social determinants (drivers) of health (SDoH) unattended could hinder outcomes. In this article we define SDoH, briefly examine how SDoH data collection in the health care system is emerging, and discuss how the occupational profile can be used to identify SDoH.