Abstract TP227: Correlation of Social Vulnerability Index and Stroke Patient Social Needs

Abstract

Introduction: Social determinants of health (SDOH) have a significant role in stroke patients’ health outcomes. To assess the environments patients are discharged to, the AHA's GWTG tool collects data on ten social needs of hospitalized stroke patients. The CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) evaluates the vulnerability of a community to hazards by considering sixteen components across four themes: Socioeconomic Status, Household Characteristics, Racial and Ethnic Minority Status, and Housing Type/Transportation. This study aims to assess the correlation between the GWTG social needs assessment and the SVI at the census tract level. Methods: Georgia Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry (GCASR) data from 2021 was matched with the Georgia Discharge Data System to obtain patients' residence coordinates. The data was then linked with 2020 SVI census tract data. Each SVI component was classified into deciles and assessed for correlation with the proportion of patients with a specific social need using Spearman correlation. Results: Among the 22,930 patients treated at GCASR participating hospitals, 10,019 had social needs data. No major sociodemographic or disease-related differences were noted between patients with and without social need data. 15 SVI components have a statistically significant correlation at the 0.05 alpha level with at least one social need. Correlation strength ranged from mild to strong. Conclusion: Most elements of the SVI at the census tract level are moderately or strongly correlated with one or more social needs, suggesting they may serve as proxy measures. SVI data, regularly updated by the CDC and freely available, could be incorporated into electronic medical records to assist with stroke patients' discharge process and transition of care.