I recently saw a new primary care doctor and was asked to complete an “SDOH” screening. Never having encountered this before, I looked up the term and learned that Social Determinants of Health are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, and age—factors that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.
The questionnaire asked whether, in the past 12 months:
- … it had been hard to pay for basic necessities like food, housing, medical care, or heating.
- … there was a time when I didn’t have a steady place to sleep or had to stay in a shelter.
- … I had been unable to pay rent or mortgage on time.
- … I worried that food would run out before I could afford more.
- … a lack of transportation kept me from work, medical appointments, or meeting daily needs.
- … I had felt afraid of a partner or ex-partner.
- … a utility company had threatened to shut off services like electricity or water.
My first reaction was one of deep gratitude—none of these statements are true for me today.
But then I paused and thought more deeply:
- Who in my circle of family, friends, neighbors, or forum mates might be dealing with one or more of these challenges right now?
- Had they ever experienced these hardships in the past?
- What kind of scars did that leave?
- How might those experiences still shape how they act and feel today?
It struck me that my forum is the perfect place to explore these kinds of questions. Answering honestly and vulnerably requires a foundation of trust and confidentiality—the very qualities that make forum experiences so meaningful. And in learning what others have faced, I can better understand their lived experiences—and see my own blessings and challenges in a new light. Perhaps my forum mates would, to
As I sat in the doctor’s waiting room, I found myself looking around at the other patients in the room and recalling the old adage:
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
That feels like the perfect way to close a forum session centered around these questions.
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Optional Forum Exercise: Exploring SDOH Together
Try this structure at your next forum meeting:
1. Setup (1–2 minutes):
Read the definition of Social Determinants of Health aloud to the group.
2. Silent Reflection (3–5minutes):
Hand out or display the SDOH screening questions. Invite everyone to reflect privately on whether any of these have been true for them or close family or friends—now or in the past—and how that shaped their experience.
3. Sharing (time-boxed per person):
Each member shares whatever they feel comfortable offering. This could be personal experience, a memory of someone close to them, or reflections the questions sparked.
4. Wrap-Up:
Close with a moment of gratitude—or read this quote together:
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
This simple yet powerful conversation can surface stories that shaped who we are—and create a deeper sense of empathy and connection in your forum.