Working Towards Health Equity

In the field of implementation science and implementation research, health equity refers to the principle and goal of ensuring that all individuals have fair and just access to healthcare services and interventions, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, or other social determinants.

Health equity involves identifying and addressing disparities in health outcomes and healthcare access that are often rooted in systemic inequalities and social injustices. It aims to eliminate these disparities by tailoring interventions and implementation strategies to meet the specific needs of marginalized and underserved populations, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to achieve optimal health. This requires a deliberate focus on integrating equity considerations into all stages of the implementation process, from the design and selection of interventions to their implementation and evaluation, to ensure that the benefits of healthcare innovations are equitably distributed and sustained over time.

Below, find resources on health equity in implementation science, anti-racist research & studying impacts of racism, decolonizing global health, and cultural adaptation.

Collections, Training, & Websites

💻 The Campbell and Cochrane Equity Methods Group (Cochrane and Campbell Collaboration)

💻 Cochrane Methods – Health Equity: Training & Webinars (Cochrane and Campbell Collaboration)

💻 CDC Health Equity Research Guide (United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

💻 CMS Framework for Health Equity (United States Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)

💻 Conducting research through an anti-racism lens (University of Minnesota)

💻 Race and Equity Initiative: Anti-racism resources (University of Washington)

💻 Resources on Racism and Health (HealthAffairs)

Videos & Podcasts

Podcast Episodes

🎧 Pathways to Accelerate Health Equity: A Health Systems Podcast (U.S. Agency for International Development)

🎧 That Implementation Science Podcast: Implementation in Low Resource and International Settings, with guest Shannon Dorsey, PhD

🎧 That Implementation Science Podcast: Unintended Consequences, Equity in Education, and Ethics and Obligations of Community Based Research, with Michael Pullmann, PhD

🎧 Implementation Science at Work: Equity in Implementation – From the Field to the Funders (The Impact Center at UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute)

🎧 Science in Translation: An Inspired Path to Health Equity, with Cory Bradley, PhD (Northwestern University)

🎧 Science in Translation: Bridging Gaps to Improve Global Health, with Amy Van Pelt, PhD (Northwestern University)

🎧 The Disability Equity Podcast: Disability Health Equity and Health Implementation Science (Disability Equity Collaborative, Johns Hopkins University)

Videos & Webinar Recordings

🎥 Examination of Structural Racism & Social Determinants of Health to Advance Health Equity through IS (National Cancer Institute)

🎥 Joining Forces: Engagement Science and Implementation Science to Advance Health Equity (National Cancer Institute)

🎥 Health Disparities and Implementation Science: Implications and Opportunities (National Cancer Institute)

🎥 TIDIRC: Exploring Health Equity in Implementation Science (National Cancer Institute)

🎥 Framing Priorities for Advancing Health Equity through Implementation Science (National Cancer Institute)

🎥 Implementation Science: Context & Equity in Cancer Research (National Cancer Institute)

🎥 Implementation Science Series on Health & Equity (Columbia University)

🎥 Inclusive language in scientific publishing: Race, ethnicity, and ancestry (Cell Press)