Clinical documentation of social determinants in advanced colorectal cancer: preliminary results of GEO-CRC study

Abstract

Abstract Background Social determinants of health (SDOH) may influence cancer outcomes, although their integration in routine clinical records remains limited. Methods This retrospective two-center cohort included adults with histologically confirmed advanced colorectal adenocarcinoma diagnosed in 2023. Clinical variables and prespecified SDOH were extracted from electronic medical records. The primary endpoint was documentation completeness for each SDOH variable. Results Forty-four patients were included. Clinical variables were consistently documented, whereas SDOH showed substantial missing data. Missingness was moderate for type of residence (20.5%), cohabitation (27.3%), caregiving support (27.3%), and marital status (29.5%), but high for social isolation (88.6%), education (95.5%), chronic stress (97.7%), and perceived job-loss risk (97.7%). Mean missing SDOH data per patient was 48.3% (± 22). Conclusions Routine oncology records capture clinical data more consistently than SDOH. These findings provide rationale for the prospective GEO-CRC phase focused on standardized SDOH collection and outcome evaluation.