Improve and Expand the Use of the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)

Improve and Expand the Use of the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)

The Social Vulnerability Index is a well-established, concrete metric that combines different types of SDOH data to help local officials identify communities that may need support in preparing for and recovering from natural or human-caused disasters. The CDC is already working with the OMH to overlay COVID-19 case data with social determinants of health data on the SVI. The CDC and its stakeholders can work to publicize the SVI and expand its use, while also gathering stakeholder input and developing recommendations to improve timeliness, granularity, or other factors that would add to its value. For example, Roundtable participants noted the need to include age-adjusted data, on a per capita basis, with information on race and ethnicity following the standards established by the OMB. 

Next Steps: Develop a program for stakeholder input and identify opportunities to improve SVI data. Develop a program to promote the SVI and build its user community. 

Impact: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, and in the event of future disasters, a more robust and widely used SVI will make it easier to identify and direct aid to communities most in need of support. User-driven improvements to the SVI would make it even more valuable for local planning and response efforts by private health systems, local health departments, community-based organizations, and social services organizations. An expanded SVI could feed into an SDOH data clearinghouse, which would include a larger set of data, allowing for deeper analysis of SDOH across varying predictive areas.

Who can take action: Federal agencies like the CDC and the U.S. Census Bureau. Local officials in public health, emergency response, disaster planning, and other relevant domains. SVI users, including nonprofits and academics, who can suggest ways to strengthen the SVI and amplify its value.