A patient’s health outcomes are determined by much more than their biology or the medications they take. Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)—the conditions in the environments where people live, learn, work, and age—profoundly impact their risk for and ability to manage chronic diseases like diabetes. As highlighted in the Patient Care 5 curriculum, understanding this “transcending concept” is crucial for addressing the health disparities seen in diabetes care. This quiz will test your knowledge on how factors like economic stability, education, and neighborhood environment affect diabetes management and what role pharmacists can play in promoting health equity.
1. Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are best defined as:
- a. The genetic predispositions a person has for a disease.
- b. The conditions in the environments where people are born, live, and work that affect health outcomes.
- c. A patient’s personal choices regarding diet and exercise only.
- d. The specific medications a patient is prescribed.
Answer: b. The conditions in the environments where people are born, live, and work that affect health outcomes.
2. A patient consistently misses their endocrinology appointments because they cannot afford the bus fare. This is an example of which SDOH domain acting as a barrier to care?
- a. Education Access and Quality
- b. Social and Community Context
- c. Health Care Access and Quality
- d. Economic Stability
Answer: d. Economic Stability
3. The term “food desert” refers to:
- a. A type of low-carbohydrate diet.
- b. A geographic area with limited access to affordable and nutritious foods.
- c. A patient’s preference for processed foods.
- d. A side effect of metformin.
Answer: b. A geographic area with limited access to affordable and nutritious foods.
4. How does low health literacy directly impact diabetes management?
- a. It prevents the patient from getting a diagnosis.
- b. It makes it difficult for a patient to understand complex self-care instructions, like carbohydrate counting or insulin dosing.
- c. It improves medication adherence.
- d. It has no impact on diabetes management.
Answer: b. It makes it difficult for a patient to understand complex self-care instructions, like carbohydrate counting or insulin dosing.
5. “Health disparities” are differences in health outcomes that are closely linked with:
- a. A patient’s personal motivation only.
- b. Social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage.
- c. The brand of medication used.
- d. The time of day a patient is seen.
Answer: b. Social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage.
6. The “Social Determinants of Health: Diabetes Mellitus” lecture is a specific “Transcending Concept” in which course?
- a. PHA5787C Patient Care 5
- b. PHA5104 Sterile Compounding
- c. PHA5703 Pharmacy Law and Ethics
- d. PHA5878C Patient Care 3
Answer: a. PHA5787C Patient Care 5
7. A pharmacist uses the teach-back method to ensure a patient understands their insulin regimen. This action directly addresses which SDOH-related domain?
- a. Economic Stability
- b. Neighborhood and Built Environment
- c. Education Access and Quality (specifically health literacy)
- d. Social and Community Context
Answer: c. Education Access and Quality (specifically health literacy)
8. Food insecurity, a component of economic instability, can lead to what pattern of glycemic control in a patient with diabetes?
- a. Consistently stable blood glucose levels.
- b. Cycles of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, as patients may overeat when food is available.
- c. A steady decrease in A1c.
- d. A cure for their diabetes.
Answer: b. Cycles of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, as patients may overeat when food is available.
9. Which of the following is a key role for a pharmacist in addressing SDOH for a patient with diabetes?
- a. Prescribing different medications.
- b. Performing a blood glucose test.
- c. Screening for barriers like cost and transportation, and connecting patients with resources.
- d. Diagnosing new comorbidities.
Answer: c. Screening for barriers like cost and transportation, and connecting patients with resources.
10. A patient lives in a neighborhood without safe sidewalks or parks. This primarily impacts which aspect of their diabetes self-management?
- a. Their ability to take medication.
- b. Their ability to monitor blood glucose.
- c. Their ability to engage in regular physical activity.
- d. Their ability to access healthy food.
Answer: c. Their ability to engage in regular physical activity.
11. The management of diabetes is a topic within the Patient Care 5 curriculum.
- a. True
- b. False
Answer: a. True
12. A patient states, “I can’t afford the healthy food you’re telling me to eat.” A helpful response from the pharmacist would be to:
- a. Tell them they need to try harder.
- b. Provide information on local food banks or programs like SNAP.
- c. Ignore the comment and continue talking about medications.
- d. Give the patient money.
Answer: b. Provide information on local food banks or programs like SNAP.
13. The curriculum emphasizes that pharmacists should demonstrate empathy and cultural competency when building a therapeutic relationship.
- a. True
- b. False
Answer: a. True
14. A lack of health insurance primarily falls under which SDOH domain?
- a. Health Care Access and Quality
- b. Economic Stability
- c. Neighborhood and Built Environment
- d. Social and Community Context
Answer: a. Health Care Access and Quality
15. Chronic stress from living in an unsafe environment or experiencing discrimination can worsen glycemic control by:
- a. Lowering cortisol levels.
- b. Increasing the release of stress hormones like cortisol, which can raise blood glucose.
- c. Improving insulin sensitivity.
- d. It has no effect on blood glucose.
Answer: b. Increasing the release of stress hormones like cortisol, which can raise blood glucose.
16. The concept of “Health Disparities” is a lecture within the diabetes module.
- a. True
- b. False
Answer: a. True
17. A patient with diabetes has a lower socioeconomic status. They are at higher risk for:
- a. Better health outcomes.
- b. Higher rates of diabetes-related complications.
- c. Easier access to healthy foods.
- d. Improved medication adherence.
Answer: b. Higher rates of diabetes-related complications.
18. A pharmacist who asks, “Do you have any cultural or religious beliefs that we should consider when creating your meal plan?” is practicing:
- a. Stereotyping
- b. Cultural competency
- c. Clinical inertia
- d. A violation of patient privacy
Answer: b. Cultural competency
19. Which of the following is NOT one of the five key domains of SDOH?
- a. Economic Stability
- b. Genetic Predisposition
- c. Neighborhood and Built Environment
- d. Health Care Access and Quality
Answer: b. Genetic Predisposition
20. An active learning session on diabetes is part of the Patient Care 5 course.
- a. True
- b. False
Answer: a. True
21. A patient’s limited English proficiency is a barrier within which SDOH domain?
- a. Economic Stability
- b. Health Care Access and Quality (related to communication and understanding).
- c. Neighborhood and Built Environment
- d. It is not considered an SDOH barrier.
Answer: b. Health Care Access and Quality (related to communication and understanding).
22. How can a pharmacist help a patient overcome a transportation barrier to care?
- a. Drive the patient to their appointments.
- b. Pay for their transportation.
- c. Inform them about local medical transport services or mail-order pharmacy options.
- d. Tell them appointments are not important.
Answer: c. Inform them about local medical transport services or mail-order pharmacy options.
23. The “Population Health” course provides a foundation for understanding SDOH.
- a. True
- b. False
Answer: a. True
24. An active learning session on diabetes is part of which course?
- a. PHA5787C Patient Care 5
- b. PHA5163L Professional Skills Lab 3
- c. PHA5781 Patient Care I
- d. PHA5782C Patient Care 2
Answer: a. PHA5787C Patient Care 5
25. A patient with prediabetes is more likely to progress to type 2 diabetes if they:
- a. Live in a neighborhood with safe parks and full-service grocery stores.
- b. Have a high level of health literacy.
- c. Experience chronic food insecurity.
- d. Have strong social support.
Answer: c. Experience chronic food insecurity.
26. The pharmacist’s role in promoting public health and disease prevention is a key objective.
- a. True
- b. False
Answer: a. True
27. A patient says they often skip medication doses at the end of the month to save money. This is an example of:
- a. Forgetfulness
- b. A side effect of the medication.
- c. Cost-related non-adherence, an economic barrier.
- d. A lack of understanding of the disease.
Answer: c. Cost-related non-adherence, an economic barrier.
28. An active learning session on diabetes is part of which course module?
- a. Module 1: Diabetes Mellitus
- b. Module 3: Women’s Health
- c. Module 4: Medication Safety
- d. Module 8: Men’s Health
Answer: a. Module 1: Diabetes Mellitus
29. The ultimate goal of addressing SDOH in diabetes care is to:
- a. Achieve health equity and improve health outcomes for all patients.
- b. Document barriers in the patient’s chart.
- c. Increase pharmacy profits.
- d. Blame society for the patient’s condition.
Answer: a. Achieve health equity and improve health outcomes for all patients.
30. The “Social Determinants of Health” lecture is part of the diabetes module.
- a. True
- b. False
Answer: a. True
31. The term “health equity” means:
- a. Everyone receives the same exact healthcare.
- b. Everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.
- c. Only wealthy people have access to good healthcare.
- d. Health outcomes are the same for every individual.
Answer: b. Everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.
32. A patient’s lack of a stable home environment can negatively impact their diabetes management by:
- a. Creating difficulty with storing medications like insulin.
- b. Causing inconsistent access to food.
- c. Adding significant psychological stress.
- d. All of the above.
Answer: d. All of the above.
33. As a pharmacist, the first step in addressing SDOH is often to:
- a. Provide a solution.
- b. Ask questions in a safe and non-judgmental way to identify potential barriers.
- c. Assume the patient has no barriers.
- d. Refer the patient to a social worker.
Answer: b. Ask questions in a safe and non-judgmental way to identify potential barriers.
34. Which of the following is NOT directly considered a Social Determinant of Health?
- a. The patient’s zip code.
- b. The patient’s genetic code.
- c. The patient’s insurance status.
- d. The patient’s education level.
Answer: b. The patient’s genetic code.
35. A pharmacist providing information on a manufacturer’s patient assistance program is directly addressing which SDOH domain?
- a. Neighborhood and Built Environment
- b. Social and Community Context
- c. Economic Stability
- d. Education Access and Quality
Answer: c. Economic Stability
36. A patient’s cultural beliefs about food and medicine are part of which SDOH domain?
- a. Economic Stability
- b. Social and Community Context
- c. Health Care Access and Quality
- d. Neighborhood and Built Environment
Answer: b. Social and Community Context
37. When counseling a patient with low health literacy, it is best to:
- a. Use a lot of medical jargon to sound knowledgeable.
- b. Focus on 1-3 key messages.
- c. Provide them with a 20-page handout.
- d. Speak very quickly to save time.
Answer: b. Focus on 1-3 key messages.
38. The management of diabetes is a topic in the Patient Care 5 curriculum.
- a. True
- b. False
Answer: a. True
39. A patient’s trust in the healthcare system can be influenced by:
- a. Past experiences of discrimination.
- b. The quality of communication from providers.
- c. Media reports.
- d. All of the above.
Answer: d. All of the above.
40. An active learning session covering diabetes is part of which course?
- a. PHA5787C Patient Care 5
- b. PHA5163L Professional Skills Lab 3
- c. PHA5781 Patient Care I
- d. PHA5782C Patient Care 2
Answer: a. PHA5787C Patient Care 5
41. Which of the following is an upstream factor in SDOH?
- a. A patient’s blood pressure reading.
- b. Government policies related to housing and food access.
- c. A patient’s choice to eat a piece of cake.
- d. A single A1c value.
Answer: b. Government policies related to housing and food access.
42. A pharmacist can advocate for health equity by:
- a. Being aware of health disparities in their community.
- b. Supporting policies that improve access to care.
- c. Ensuring their own practice is inclusive and culturally competent.
- d. All of the above.
Answer: d. All of the above.
43. A patient’s ability to safely store insulin in a refrigerator is related to which SDOH domain?
- a. Education Access and Quality
- b. Economic Stability (housing stability)
- c. Social and Community Context
- d. Health Care Access and Quality
Answer: b. Economic Stability (housing stability)
44. A patient is more likely to adhere to a diabetes care plan if:
- a. The plan is created without their input.
- b. The plan takes their personal, social, and economic circumstances into account.
- c. The plan is as complex as possible.
- d. The plan involves multiple daily injections.
Answer: b. The plan takes their personal, social, and economic circumstances into account.
45. Addressing SDOH is the sole responsibility of social workers.
- a. True
- b. False
Answer: b. False
46. A “downstream” approach to health focuses on:
- a. Treating disease after it has occurred.
- b. Preventing disease by addressing root social and economic causes.
- c. Policy and advocacy.
- d. The built environment.
Answer: a. Treating disease after it has occurred.
47. A pharmacist helps a patient synchronize their refills so they only have to make one trip to the pharmacy per month. This helps address which potential barrier?
- a. Health literacy
- b. Food insecurity
- c. Transportation
- d. Social isolation
Answer: c. Transportation
48. An active learning session on Social Determinants of Health in diabetes is part of which course?
- a. PHA5787C Patient Care 5
- b. PHA5163L Professional Skills Lab 3
- c. PHA5781 Patient Care I
- d. PHA5782C Patient Care 2
Answer: a. PHA5787C Patient Care 5
49. Recognizing the impact of SDOH on a patient’s health is an example of:
- a. Clinical inertia
- b. A patient-centered approach to care
- c. A disease-centered approach
- d. A medication-centered approach
Answer: b. A patient-centered approach to care
50. The ultimate reason for a pharmacist to understand SDOH is to:
- a. Fulfill a curriculum requirement.
- b. Better understand the root causes of a patient’s health status and provide more effective, equitable, and compassionate care.
- c. Be able to blame a patient’s environment for their problems.
- d. Pass the final exam.
Answer: b. Better understand the root causes of a patient’s health status and provide more effective, equitable, and compassionate care.