Health

Supporting Health Equity with Social Determinants of Health Data and Location Intelligence

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Big data and machine learning tool to identify site recommendations for “pop-up” mobile vaccination clinics in Laredo, TX.

The goal in using big data and machine learning is to make new information visible that moves us beyond traditional delivery of health care and focuses on early public health interventions that make a difference in our communities and the people who live within them.


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (PRWEB)

What if we could target public health interventions to quickly reach the people who needed them most? Data science company RS21 and the Wellness & Equity Alliance (WEA), a national organization of public health clinicians, are working to do just that. The focus is on closing gaps and achieving health equity using big data and machine learning to inform hyperlocal, targeted strategies.

“We’re bringing together novel data sets, like social determinants of health and location data, to improve health equity,” said Angelica Bruhnke, Health Lab Division President at RS21. “By understanding root causes, vulnerability gaps and other insights, we can help inform policy and planning to lower costs, remove barriers to care and improve wellbeing.”

Working with WEA, which received CDC funding aimed to improve health equity around COVID-19 clinical services, RS21 is blending location data and over 90 indicators for health and wellness to address disparities in access to care and resources. Going beyond the geospatial distribution of people and resources, RS21 is using data science and machine learning models to identify trends and correlations that are not otherwise apparent.

In-line with WEA’s mission to disrupt public health services by optimizing access to the most marginalized communities, the alliance began working with RS21 to pilot a site selection technique to place “pop-up” mobile vaccination clinics in Laredo, TX with the purpose of getting COVID-19 vaccines to the people most vulnerable to COVID-19 – namely asylum seekers and people living in Colonias (or unincorporated villages along the southern U.S. border with nearly 2 million inhabitants living in abject poverty).

“COVID-19 amplified the inequities in the health system that have existed for decades and predated on vulnerable public health systems that intended to protect the most marginalized communities in the U.S. After administering over 2 million COVID-19 vaccines in 10 states with a focus on communities lacking historical health care access, we believe that the private-public partnership is the future of public health,” said Tyler B. Evans, CEO and Co-Founder of WEA.

Leveraging the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), the RS21-developed Urban Health Vulnerability Index (UHVI) and data from the Texas Department of State Health, the team identified high-risk communities near the Laredo-Mexico border. They then added a location intelligence layer to estimate density and movement patterns to hone in on sites where “pop-up” mobile vaccination clinics would reach the most people.

“The goal in using big data and machine learning is to make new information visible that moves us beyond traditional delivery of health care and focuses on early public health interventions that make a difference in our communities and the people who live within them,” said Bruhnke.

RS21 and WEA are continuing to work together to identify additional opportunities to improve health equity with precision strategies and targeted public health programs – with additional pivots into other areas of formidable public health concern, namely substance use disorders.

About Wellness & Equity Alliance

Wellness & Equity Alliance (WEA) is a novel national public health organization comprised of a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, community health workers and population health experts with expertise in infectious disease, public health, emergency medicine, primary care, cardiology, pediatrics, psychiatry, community health work (CHW), nursing and advanced practice pharmacy. They work nearly exclusively with underrepresented communities, fundamentally addressing health-care disparities and the social determinants of health (SDoH) that have been amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing the following: people experiencing homelessness, indigenous communities, immigrant communities, rural communities, BIPoC communities, LGBTQ+ communities and justice-impacted communities. Visit https://www.wellnessequityalliance.com.

About RS21

RS21 is a rapidly growing data science company that uses artificial intelligence, design, data engineering, and modern software development methods to empower organizations to make data-driven decisions that positively impact the world. Our innovative solutions are insightful, intuitive, inspiring, and intellectually honest. With offices in Albuquerque, NM and Washington, DC, RS21 is an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company and a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators.

We help clients achieve programmatic goals, improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and maximize productivity using MOTHR, our human-centered, artificial intelligence engine that allows users to seamlessly integrate data and reveal insights at hyper speed. We navigate complex data issues in the fields of healthcare, defense, safety, urban planning, energy, cyber, land use, climate, disaster preparedness, disaster recovery, space, and social equity. Visit http://www.rs21.io.

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