In 2018, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services entered into a formal data use agreement (DUA) with UPMC Health Plan. The purpose of the agreement is to improve care for shared clients. The report — Leveraging Data to Support Health Equity in an Integrated Delivery and Finance System — details how UPMC leveraged data sharing, spotlights associated outcomes and suggests future directions for data practices in healthcare settings.
Social determinants of health (SDOH) are non-medical factors—such as housing, food security, and social support—that significantly affect health, well-being and quality of life. Because these factors often remain unknown within healthcare systems, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) integrated healthcare and human services data to bridge the gap between medical and non-medical information. Their collaboration in data-sharing supports holistic, equitable care and underscores the role of informed system design in improving health outcomes.
View the report to learn how collaboration between DHS and UPMC strengthen social supports and advance health equity.
Key Takeaways:
- Needs Identification: Screening found unmet social needs for more than one-third of women.
- Connecting people to support: Providers linked over 700 individuals with essential social services and support.
- Cross-sector impact: Coordination across systems identified 281,000 shared clients and resulted in enhanced care management for 100 adult Medicaid/Special Needs Plan members.
Questions or Feedback?
We welcome your questions and suggestions. To share feedback, you can reach us at DHSResearch@alleghenycounty.us. If you’d like to stay informed, consider signing up for our newsletter. To learn how to use DHS data in your research, please visit our Requesting Data page. Thank you for your time and interest. Your engagement helps shape and improve how we share data that matters.