Documentation of individual-level social determinants of health among adults diagnosed with cancer in the United States
Abstract The ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes ranging from Z55 to Z65 (Z codes) capture individual-level social determinants of health (SDOH) and are typically under-coded in individuals’ health records. There is limited characterization of SDOH Z codes among adults diagnosed with cancer and information ab...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13825-3 |
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| Summary: | Abstract The ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes ranging from Z55 to Z65 (Z codes) capture individual-level social determinants of health (SDOH) and are typically under-coded in individuals’ health records. There is limited characterization of SDOH Z codes among adults diagnosed with cancer and information about oncologists’ perspectives on Z codes. Using pooled cross sections, we selected 35,099 adults from the IQVIA PharMetrics® Plus for Academics data and 17,852 individuals from linked cancer registry and claims data. The prevalence of comorbidities and metastatic cancer was higher among individuals with Z codes compared to those without Z code claims. The proportion of individuals with any Z code claims ranged from 0.6 to 0.9% in the PharMetrics Plus data and from 1.4 to 2.1% in the linked data. Among 112 medical oncologists/hematologists who responded to a survey about SDOH Z codes, 54% had not heard of Z codes to document SDOH. 26% reported that lack of reimbursement makes it difficult to increase their documentation and 64% would consider using Z codes if they are tied to payer reimbursement. Individuals with Z codes had greater comorbidity and cancer burden. Additional research is needed and depends on improved coding of SDOH Z codes. |
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| ISSN: | 2045-2322 |