social determinants of health

Guiding members on the next right thing to do in their health care journey…

That’s the goal at Onlife Health, one of GuideWell’s consumer-engagement businesses, providing health and wellness solutions to 13 million health plan members across 13 states through their user-friendly engagement platform.

The health and wellness company, which serves health plans and employers across the country, is committed to delivering a personalized wellness program to help members achieve their personal health goals.

But Onlife Health acknowledges that helping someone make improvements to their diet or exercise routine cannot be done without first understanding that person’s social determinants of health (SDoH), the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work and play that can affect health outcomes.

How does the health care industry begin to address key factors like housing, economic status, health literacy, and even air quality that prevent some of us from being our healthiest selves? GuideWell’s Prakash Patel, M.D., knows that one’s health is not determined in the four walls of the doctor’s office – it happens in the home. As Chief Operating Officer for GuideWell and President of GuideWell Health, Prakash oversees an innovative new care delivery system designed to directly impact those factors, known collectively as social determinants of health, with clinicians such as nutritionists, social workers, behavioral health specialists and others who can conduct home visits and coordinate outreach between doctors’ appointments.