Project description:ObjectiveTo use evidence on addressing racism in social care intervention research to create a framework for advancing health equity for all populations with marginalized social identities (e.g., race, gender, and sexual orientation). Such groups have disproportionate social needs (e.g., food insecurity) and negative social determinants of health (SDOH; e.g., poverty). We recommend how the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) could advance health equity for marginalized populations through social care research and care delivery.Data sources and study settingThis commentary is informed by a literature review of social care interventions that were affiliated with healthcare systems; input from health equity researchers, policymakers, and community leaders attending the AHRQ Health Equity Summit; and consensus of the authors.Principal findingsWe recommend that AHRQ: (1) create an ecosystem that values research on SDOH and the effectiveness and implementation of social care interventions in the healthcare sector; (2) work with other federal agencies to (a) develop position statements with actionable recommendations about racism and other systems that perpetuate marginalization based on social identity and (b) develop aligned, complementary approaches to research and care delivery that address social marginalization; (3) advance both inclusive care delivery and inclusive research teams; (4) advance understanding of racism as a social determinant of health and effective strategies to mitigate its adverse impact on health; (5) advance the creation and scaling of effective strategies for addressing SDOH in healthcare systems, particularly in co-creation with community partners; and (6) require social care intervention researchers to use methods that advance our understanding of social health equity.ConclusionsAHRQ, as a federal agency, could help advance health equity using a range of strategies, including using the agency's levers to ensure AHRQ stakeholders examine and address the unique experiences of socially marginalized populations in SDOH and social care intervention research.
Project description:IntroductionEvents of spring 2020-the COVID19 pandemic and re-birth of a social justice movement-have thrown disparities in disease risk, morbidity, and mortality in sharp relief. In response, healthcare organizations have shifted attentions and resources towards equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) issues and initiatives like never before. Focused, proven equity-centered skill and mindset development is needed for healthcare professionals to operationalize these pledges and stated aims.AimThis article highlights program evaluation results for this Clinical Scholars National Leadership Institute (CSNLI) specific to EDI. We will show that CSNLI imparts the valuable and essential skills to health professionals that are needed to realize health equity through organizational and system change.SettingInitial cohort of 29 participants in CSNLI, engaging in the program over 3 years through in-person and distance-based learning offerings and activities.Program descriptionThe CSNLI is a 3-year, intensive leadership program that centers EDI skill development across personal, interpersonal, organizational, and systems domains through its design, competencies, and curriculum.Program evaluationA robust evaluation following the Kirkpatrick Model offers analysis of four data collecting activities related to program participants' EDI learning, behavioral change, and results.DiscussionOver the course of the program, participants made significant gains in competencies related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Furthermore, participants demonstrated growth in behavior change and leadership activities in the areas of organizational and system change. Results demonstrate the need to center both leader and leadership development on equity, diversity, and inclusion curriculum to make real change in the US Healthcare System.
Project description:BackgroundDental therapists (DTs) are primary care dental providers, used globally, and were introduced in the United States (US) in 2005. DTs have now been adopted in 13 states and several Tribal nations.ObjectivesThe objective of this study is to qualitatively examine the drivers and outcomes of the US dental therapy movement through a health equity lens, including community engagement, implementation and dissemination, and access to oral health care.MethodsThe study compiled a comprehensive document library on the dental therapy movement including literature, grant documents, media and press, and gray literature. Key stakeholder interviews were conducted across the spectrum of engagement in the movement. Dedoose software was used for qualitative coding. Themes were assessed within a holistic model of oral health equity.FindingsHealth equity is a driving force for dental therapy adoption. Community engagement has been evident in diverse statewide coalitions. National accreditation standards for education programs that can be deployed in 3 years without an advanced degree reduces educational barriers for improving workforce diversity. Safe, high-quality care, improvements in access, and patient acceptability have been well documented for DTs in practice.ConclusionHaving firmly taken root politically, the impact of the dental therapy movement in the US, and the long-term health impacts, will depend on the path of implementation and a sustained commitment to the health equity principle.
Project description:Introduction Social determinants of health impact health, and migrants are exposed to an inequitable distribution of resources that may impact their health negatively, leading to health inequality and social injustice. Migrant women are difficult to engage in health-promotional activities because of language barriers, socioeconomic circumstances, and other social determinants. Based on the framework of Paulo Freire, a community health promotion program was established in a community-academic partnership with a community-based participatory research approach. Aim The aim of this study was to describe how a collaborative women’s health initiative contributed to migrant women’s engagement in health promotion activities. Materials and methods This study was part of a larger program, carried out in a disadvantaged city area in Sweden. It had a qualitative design with a participatory approach, following up on actions taken to promote health. Health-promotional activities were developed in collaboration with a women’s health group, facilitated by a lay health promoter. The study population was formed by 17 mainly Middle Eastern migrant women. Data was collected using the story-dialog method and the material was analyzed using thematic analysis. Result Three important contributors to engagement in health promotion were identified at an early stage of the analysis process, namely, the group forming a social network, the local facilitator from the community, and the use of social places close to home. Later in the analysis process, a connection was made between these contributors and the rationale behind their importance, that is, how they motivated and supported the women and how the dialog was conducted. This therefore became the designated themes and were connected to all contributors, forming three main themes and nine sub-themes. Conclusion The key implication was that the women made use of their health knowledge and put it into practice. Thus, a progression from functional health literacy to a level of critical health literacy may be said to have occurred.
Project description:IntroductionHealthcare systems around the world exhibit inherent systemic inequities that disproportionately impact marginalised populations. Digital health technologies (DHTs) hold promising potential to address these inequities and to play a pivotal role in advancing health equity. However, there is a notable gap regarding a comprehensive and structured overview of existing frameworks and guidelines on advancing health equity and a clear understanding of the potential of DHTs in their implementation. To this end, our primary objectives are first to identify prevalent frameworks and guidelines that promote health equity and second to pinpoint the contemporary role of DHTs as an avenue for implementing these frameworks and guidelines. This synthesis will guide future DHTs, ensuring equitable accessibility and effectiveness and ultimately contributing to enhancing health equity among marginalised populations.Methods and analysisThis work adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Scoping Reviews. To identify pertinent evidence, we will employ seven electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science and WISO) encompassing the fields of medicine, healthcare and social sciences. Moreover, selected grey literature will be considered. We will include primary and secondary studies published in English between 2010 and 2023 that focus on (technology and non-technology-based) frameworks and guidelines for health equity improvement. Each article will undergo an independent assessment for eligibility, followed by the extraction of pertinent data from eligible sources. Subsequently, the extracted data will be subjected to qualitative and quantitative analyses, and findings will be presented using narrative and descriptive formats.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is deemed unnecessary for this scoping review, as it involves synthesising existing knowledge. The findings from this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.Protocol registrationhttps://osf.io/94pht.
Project description:A new sequencing-based women's health assay combining self-sampling, HPV detection and genotyping, STI detection, and vaginal microbiome analysis
Project description:BackgroundHealth equity and access to essential medical information remain significant challenges, especially for the Spanish-speaking Hispanic population, which faces barriers in accessing living kidney donation opportunities. ChatGPT, an AI language model with sophisticated natural language processing capabilities, has been identified as a promising tool for translating critical health information into Spanish. This study aims to assess ChatGPT's translation efficacy to ensure the information provided is accurate and culturally relevant.MethodsThis study utilized ChatGPT versions 3.5 and 4.0 to translate 27 frequently asked questions (FAQs) from English to Spanish, sourced from Donate Life America's website. The translated content was reviewed by native Spanish-speaking nephrologists using a standard rubric scale (1-5). The assessment focused on linguistic accuracy and cultural sensitivity, emphasizing retention of the original message, appropriate vocabulary and grammar, and cultural relevance.ResultsThe mean linguistic accuracy scores were 4.89 ± 0.32 for GPT-3.5 and 5.00 ± 0.00 for GPT-4.0 (p = 0.08). The percentage of excellent-quality translations (score = 5) in linguistic accuracy was 89% for GPT-3.5 and 100% for GPT-4.0 (p = 0.24). The mean cultural sensitivity scores were 4.89 ± 0.32 for both GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0 (p = 1.00). Similarly, excellent-quality translations in cultural sensitivity were achieved in 89% of cases for both versions (p = 1.00).ConclusionChatGPT 4.0 demonstrates strong potential to enhance health equity by improving Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients' access to LKD information through accurate and culturally sensitive translations. These findings highlight the role of AI in mitigating healthcare disparities and underscore the need for integrating AI-driven tools into healthcare systems. Future efforts should focus on developing accessible platforms and establishing guidelines to maximize AI's impact on equitable healthcare delivery and patient education.
Project description:BackgroundReducing health inequities in marginalized populations, including people with Medicaid insurance, requires care transformation to address medical and social needs that is supported and incentivized by tailored payment methods. Collaboration across health care stakeholders is essential to overcome health system fragmentation and implement sustainable reform in the United States (U.S.). This paper explores how multi-stakeholder teams operationalized the Roadmap to Advance Health Equity model during early stages of their journey to (a) build cultures of equity and (b) integrate health equity into care transformation and payment reform initiatives.MethodsAdvancing Health Equity: Leading Care, Payment, and Systems Transformation is a national program in the U.S. funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that brings together multi-stakeholder teams to design and implement initiatives to advance health equity. Each team consisted of representatives from state Medicaid agencies, Medicaid managed care organizations, and health care delivery organizations in seven U.S. states. Between June and September 2021, semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives (n = 23) from all seven teams about experiences implementing the Roadmap to Advance Health Equity model with technical assistance from Advancing Health Equity.ResultsFacilitators of building cultures of equity included (1) build upon preexisting intra-organizational cultures of equity, (2) recruit and promote diverse staff and build an inclusive culture, and (3) train staff on health equity and anti-racism. Teams faced challenges building inter-organizational cultures of equity. Facilitators of identifying a health equity focus area and its root causes included (1) use data to identify a health equity focus and (2) overcome stakeholder assumptions about inequities. Facilitators of implementing care transformation and payment reform included (1) partner with Medicaid members and individual providers and (2) support and incentivize equitable care and outcomes with payment. Facilitators of sustainability planning included (1) identify evidence of improved health equity focus and (2) maintain relationships among stakeholders. Teams faced challenges determining the role of the state Medicaid agency.ConclusionsMulti-stakeholder teams shared practical strategies for implementing the Roadmap to Advance Health Equity that can inform future efforts to build intra- and inter-organizational cultures of equity and integrate health equity into care delivery and payment systems.
Project description:BackgroundIn nearly all areas of academic medicine, disparities still exist for women and underrepresented minorities (URMs).ObjectivesDevelop a strategic plan for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); implement and evaluate the plan, specifically focusing on compensation, recruitment, and policies.Design, setting, participantsProgrammatic evaluation conducted in the division of hospital medicine (DHM) at a major academic medical center involving DHM faculty and staff.Measurements(1) Development and implementation of strategic plan, including policies, processes, and practices related to key components of DEI program; (2) assessment of specific DEI outcomes, including plan implementation, pre-post salary data disparities based on academic rank, and pre-post disparities for protected time for similar roles.ResultsUsing information gathered from a focus group with DHM faculty, an iterative strategic plan for DEI was developed and deployed, with key components of focus being institutional structures, our people, our environments, and our core mission areas. A director of DEI was established to help oversee these efforts. Using a two-phase approach, salary disparities by rank were eliminated. Internally funded protected time was standardized for leadership roles. A data dashboard has been developed to track high-level successes and areas for future focus.ConclusionUsing a systematic evidence-based approach with key stakeholder involvement, a division-wide DEI strategy was developed and implemented. While this work is ongoing, short-term wins are possible, in particular around salary equity and development of policies and structures to promote DEI.
Project description:ObjectiveTo provide guiding principles and recommendations for how approaches from the field of dissemination and implementation (D&I) science can advance healthcare equity.Data sources and study settingThis article, part of a special issue sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), is based on an outline drafted to support proceedings of the 2022 AHRQ Health Equity Summit and further revised to reflect input from Summit attendees.Study designThis is a narrative review of the current and potential applications of D&I approaches for understanding and advancing healthcare equity, followed by discussion and feedback with Summit attendees.Data collection/extraction methodsWe identified major themes in narrative and systematic reviews related to D&I science, healthcare equity, and their intersections. Based on our expertise, and supported by synthesis of published studies, we propose recommendations for how D&I science is relevant for advancing healthcare equity. We used iterative discussions internally and at the Summit to refine preliminary findings and recommendations.Principal findingsWe identified four guiding principles and three D&I science domains with strong promise for accelerating progress toward healthcare equity. We present eight recommendations and more than 60 opportunities for action by practitioners, healthcare leaders, policy makers, and researchers.ConclusionsPromising areas for D&I science to impact healthcare equity include the following: attention to equity in the development and delivery of evidence-based interventions; the science of adaptation; de-implementation of low-value care; monitoring equity markers; organizational policies for healthcare equity; improving the economic evaluation of implementation; policy and dissemination research; and capacity building.