Introduction to the social determinants of health

CPD Credits: 1    Duration: 1 hour    Access period: 30 days

This course clearly sets out the significant health inequalities that exist in our society and the main drivers of these inequalities, which are rooted in social, economic and environmental circumstances. It aims to increase clinicians’ understanding of their role in tackling these issues, providing clear practical actions which can be taken.

Module 1

• recognise the scale of health inequalities globally and nationally
• define key terms such as life expectancy, disability~free life expectancy, healthy life expectancy
• recall the wider factors that determine health and isolate the most influential
• show how inequalities are shaped by the social determinants of health, are socially graded, and develop over the life course (life course epidemiology)
• identify why we should be concerned with health inequalities

Module 2

• recall what it takes to reduce the social gradient of health
• identify the six areas of action required to reduce the social gradient of health
• define how deprivation in each area of action will affect an individual’s health
• state what good health looks like in each area and what could be done to achieve it

Module 3

• identify at what level medical professionals can influence the social determinants of health
• recognise five key themes in which health professionals can take action towards the social determinants of health.