Creating greater equity in health care is one reason behind the rising interest in addressing factors, beyond health care, that impact patients’ health and longevity. Awareness of the social determinants of health (SDOH) can also help providers deliver more patient-centered care. Alli Totzke-Hitzeroth, DC, MPP, vice chair of the ACA Health Policy Committee, regional chair of the ACA Legislative Commission and regional director of the WFC Public Health Committee, will review the significance of SDOH during her upcoming Engage 2025 education program and help doctors of chiropractic understand how to use screening tools to gather information that can be used to better meet patients’ needs.
Look for her program, “Social Determinants of Health and the Chiropractic Office,” at Engage 2025, and register here. Below, read more about SDOH and why Dr. Totzke-Hitzeroth believes this topic is a must for DCs today:
Q: How is the topic you are presenting at Engage 2025 relevant to today’s chiropractor?
SDOH are a growing conversation point in policy and research. For one, we need to be aware of charting and documenting this tool for our own practices and to remain relevant. Additionally, SDOH tools don’t need to be overwhelming. I look forward to sharing how a typical office can use screening tools to help promote better equity with their patients.
Q: What makes you an expert in this area?
Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to be part of several policy circles including a clinical roundtable with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and the Better Medicare Advantage Forum. These organizations look for ways to ensure health care is more accessible and equitable, and SDOH is a huge talking point. My intention is to share some of the insights from these meetings that I’ve gained.
Q: What first interested you in this topic?
Since completing my Master of Public Policy last year, I’ve been looking to engage and impact more health policy as a chiropractor. By staying abreast with the latest language and connecting with organizations that are at the forefront of these equitable healthcare initiatives, I’ve been able to use my degree more as well as bring information back to the groups that I represent. We all know that health care is not a one-size-fits-all system, and any way that we can build on the skills we have in health care is worth pursuing.
Q: Can you provide one or two takeaways from your presentation/topic that Engage 2024 attendees will not want to miss?
Screening and coding tools that you can use at your practice minutes after the presentation!
Q: How will what attendees take away make them a better doctor?
Equity. Anything that we can do to mitigate our implicit biases and improve the quality of care that we give patients is worth pursuing.
Q: Being “engaged” in the chiropractic profession is a central theme of ACA Engage. How long have you presented at Engage or other conferences? What inspired you to start and/or what keeps you coming back to share knowledge with your colleagues in this way?
Ever since the conference rebranded with the name Engage, I thought it was a great step to show how the ACA is more in touch with what chiropractors are looking for. It’s not just about getting a set number of CEUs, but rather an experience to better ourselves personally and professionally. This keeps me coming back and engaged in the profession in any way that I can. ACA also has some brilliant minds who are breaking barriers and holding positions that chiropractors have never done before. I hope to continue to inspire others to challenge the norms of what it means to be a chiropractor by helping to promote public health and policy efforts to create a more equitable, and sustainable healthcare system.
