Title
Social Determinants of Health Study Update - Citywide
Description
This report provides the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee with a progress update on the Social Determinants of Health Study.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
Report
Summary
On January 8, 2025, the Phoenix Fire Department received a request from the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee regarding differences in Phoenix Fire (PFD) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) resource utilization across council districts and whether lower-resourced communities rely on Phoenix Fire/EMS services more frequently. As a result, the Phoenix Fire Department and the Office of Public Health in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU) College of Health Solutions, formed a working group to develop the study plan and framework. Since that time, after looking at available data that did not require sharing of personal health information, it was determined that to properly study the questions at hand, personal health information was needed. The process paused to develop an Intergovernmental Agreement with ASU to allow for data sharing of records that contain personal health information. That IGA has now been completed and the additional work of the study can be completed.
Scope of Study
Social determinants of health are the conditions and environments in which people are born, live, work, play, worship, and age. Many non-medical factors affect a wide range of health, quality of life, and overall health outcomes. These domains include Economic Stability, Education Access and Quality, Health Care Access and Quality, Neighborhood and Built Environment, and Social and Community Context. Considering these factors, the overall goal of the Phoenix Social Determinants of Health Study is to provide a comprehensive analysis to better understand patterns and non-medical factors contributing to resource utilization and response rates across Phoenix.
This analysis includes the following aims:
A. Assess whether lower resource availability is linked to slower response times and evaluate whether resources match EMS demand across the City.
B. Analyze variables including structural, geographic, demographics, illness burden, health care, and EMS supply and demand.
C. Creation of a data dashboard tool for long-term assessment of service gaps in the community.
Study Milestones
March 2026 - Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between PFD and ASU executed. Under this agreement, data sharing and transfer, including Phoenix Fire Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Phoenix Fire Electronic Patient Care Records (ePCR), have commenced.
Summer 2026 - Estimated completion of data analysis and final report by ASU.
Fall 2026 - Anticipated final study presentation to the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Fire Department, and Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Office of Public Health.