Overview
The Assessments, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), and Vitals sections provide a comprehensive view of the patient's clinical condition and the non-clinical factors that may influence their health outcomes.
These sections enable care teams to document standardized patient assessments, identify barriers to care, evaluate social and environmental factors, and monitor physiological measurements. Together, they help create personalized, evidence-based care plans and support ongoing patient management.
Before You Begin
Before completing these sections, ensure that:
A Care Plan has been created.
The patient's demographic information has been reviewed.
Recent clinical information is available.
Assessment questionnaires, if applicable, have been completed or are ready to be administered.
Navigation
Log in to the HealthArc Portal.
Navigate to Patients.
Select the patient.
Open the Care Plan tab.
Open the draft Care Plan.
Complete the following sections:
Assessments
Barriers to Care
Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
Vitals
Assessments
Overview
The Assessments section allows care coordinators to administer standardized clinical questionnaires that help evaluate the patient's physical, behavioral, and functional health.
Assessments provide objective information that supports clinical decision-making and helps identify areas requiring intervention.
Depending on your organization's configuration, multiple assessment types may be available.
Care Plan 2.0 allows assessments to be:
Completed during the patient encounter
Sent electronically to the patient
Reviewed after submission
Stored as part of the patient's Care Plan history
Sending an Assessment to a Patient
If an assessment can be completed independently by the patient:
Open the Assessments section.
Select the desired assessment.
Choose Send Assessment.
Select the preferred delivery method:
Email
SMS
Confirm the patient's contact information.
Send the assessment.
The patient receives a secure link that allows them to complete the questionnaire remotely.
Completing an Assessment During an Encounter
Assessments can also be administered while speaking with the patient.
Open the desired assessment.
Read each question to the patient.
Record the patient's responses.
Save the completed assessment.
The results become immediately available within the Care Plan.
Reviewing Assessment Results
After an assessment has been completed:
Review individual responses.
Verify overall scores.
Identify any abnormal findings.
Determine whether follow-up interventions are required.
Assessment results should be considered when developing SMART goals, interventions, and patient education plans.
Best Practices for Assessments
Use standardized assessments whenever available.
Encourage patients to answer honestly.
Review previous assessment results to identify trends.
Repeat assessments according to organizational policy.
Document any clinical observations that provide additional context.
Barriers to Care
Overview
The Barriers to Care section identifies obstacles that may prevent patients from following treatment recommendations or achieving their health goals.
Recognizing these barriers enables care teams to develop targeted interventions and improve patient engagement.
Common Barriers
Examples include:
Transportation difficulties
Financial limitations
Medication affordability
Limited caregiver support
Vision impairment
Hearing impairment
Mobility limitations
Language barriers
Cognitive impairment
Technology limitations
Health literacy concerns
Recording Barriers
Select Barriers to Care.
Review previously documented barriers.
Select all applicable barriers.
Add additional notes when necessary.
Save the section.
Documenting barriers ensures they are considered during care planning and follow-up.
Best Practices
Ask open-ended questions to identify barriers that may not be immediately apparent.
Reassess barriers during each evaluation.
Update documentation whenever circumstances change.
Link identified barriers to appropriate interventions and community resources.
Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
Overview
Health outcomes are influenced by more than medical conditions alone. The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) section captures environmental, economic, and social factors that may affect a patient's ability to maintain their health.
Documenting SDOH allows care teams to identify unmet social needs and coordinate appropriate support services.
SDOH Categories
Care Plan 2.0 organizes SDOH information into several categories.
Economic Stability
Document factors such as:
Employment status
Financial hardship
Ability to afford medications
Housing affordability
Food security
Education
Record information related to:
Educational attainment
Health literacy
Ability to understand medical instructions
Need for educational resources
Healthcare Access
Document factors affecting healthcare utilization, including:
Insurance coverage
Access to primary care
Access to specialists
Transportation to appointments
Availability of pharmacies
Neighborhood & Environment
Record environmental factors such as:
Housing safety
Neighborhood conditions
Access to healthy food
Environmental hazards
Social & Community Support
Document:
Family support
Caregiver availability
Social isolation
Community involvement
Support groups
Completing the SDOH Section
Open Social Determinants of Health.
Complete each category based on the patient's responses.
Record additional comments where appropriate.
Save the section.
Whenever possible, discuss sensitive topics respectfully and explain why the information is important for care planning.
Best Practices for SDOH
Build trust before discussing sensitive topics.
Respect patient privacy.
Document only clinically relevant information.
Update SDOH whenever the patient's living situation changes.
Refer patients to available community resources when appropriate.
Vitals
Overview
The Vitals section documents the patient's physiological measurements and provides a snapshot of their current clinical status.
Depending on your organization's workflows, vitals may be:
Automatically received from connected RPM devices
Imported from integrated systems
Entered manually by clinical staff
Care Plan 2.0 allows users to review, add, edit, and manage vital signs directly within the Care Plan.
Supported Vital Signs
Examples may include:
Blood Pressure
Heart Rate
Weight
Blood Glucose
Pulse Oximetry (SpO₂)
Temperature
Respiratory Rate
Body Mass Index (BMI)
The available vitals depend on your organization's device integrations and configured programs.
Viewing Existing Vitals
To review previously recorded vitals:
Open the Vitals section.
Review the available readings.
Verify that the measurements are current.
Compare trends with previous visits or RPM data.
Adding a Manual Vital
If a measurement is obtained outside an integrated device:
Select Add Vital.
Choose the vital type.
Enter the measured value.
Record the date and time.
Save the entry.
Manual entries should accurately reflect the patient's measurement at the time it was obtained.
Editing or Removing a Vital
Users with appropriate permissions can update or remove incorrectly entered values.
To edit:
Select the vital entry.
Choose Edit.
Update the value.
Save the changes.
To remove:
Select the entry.
Choose Delete.
Confirm the deletion.
RPM Integration
For patients enrolled in Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), compatible cellular or Bluetooth devices may automatically transmit readings into HealthArc.
These readings can be reviewed within the Care Plan to support clinical decision-making and ongoing monitoring.
Examples include:
Blood Pressure Monitor
Weight Scale
Blood Glucose Meter
Pulse Oximeter
Reviewing Vital Trends
When reviewing vitals:
Compare current readings with previous values.
Identify abnormal or worsening trends.
Confirm whether interventions have been effective.
Determine whether additional follow-up is necessary.
Vital trends should be considered alongside assessment results and SDOH information to provide a complete understanding of the patient's health.
Best Practices
Verify patient identity before recording measurements.
Ensure manual entries reflect the actual reading.
Review RPM data regularly for abnormal trends.
Investigate significant changes before updating the Care Plan.
Use the most recent clinically relevant readings when developing interventions.
Troubleshooting
I don't see any assessments.
Assessment availability depends on your organization's configured questionnaires and user permissions.
The patient didn't receive the assessment.
Verify the patient's email address or mobile number before resending the assessment invitation.
My RPM readings are not appearing.
Confirm that the patient's monitoring device is assigned correctly, has transmitted recent data, and is actively connected to the HealthArc platform.
Can I edit automatically imported vitals?
Depending on your organization's configuration, imported readings may be read-only to preserve data integrity. If corrections are needed, contact your administrator or verify the data source.