Integrating Social Determinants of Health into Policy Design: A BENEFITS Framework for Data-Driven Equity Analysis

Abstract

Social services significantly impact health equity, yet traditional frameworks rarely capture their full health effects. This paper presents BENEFITS, a novel approach quantifying social service contributions to health outcomes and system resilience using AI-driven analysis and modeling through regional collaborations. Our framework identifies services with high social ROI, indicating potential GDP gains through increased life expectancy. The Policy Observatory quantifies how social determinants, accounting for up to 90% of modifiable health factors, impact various groups. Early results demonstrate targeted cultural mediation investments can reduce healthcare utilization and improve equitable access. As it scales across the EU, BENEFITS promises to strengthen health system resilience by integrating social determinants.