Abstract
Implementation science has great potential to improve the health of communities and individuals who are not achieving health equity. However, implementation science can exacerbate health disparities if its use is biased toward entities that already have the highest capacities for delivering evidence-based interventions. In this article, we examine several methodologic approaches for conducting implementation research to advance equity both in our understanding of what historically disadvantaged populations would need-what we call scientific equity-and how this knowledge can be applied to produce health equity. We focus on rapid ways to gain knowledge on how to engage, design research, act, share, and sustain successes in partnership with communities. We begin by describing a principle-driven partnership process between community members and implementation researchers to overcome disparities. We then review three innovative implementation method paradigms to improve scientific and health equity and provide examples of each. The first paradigm involves making efficient use of existing data by applying epidemiologic and simulation modeling to understand what drives disparities and how they can be overcome. The second paradigm involves designing new research studies that include, but do not focus exclusively on, populations experiencing disparities in health domains such as cardiovascular disease and co-occurring mental health conditions. The third paradigm involves implementation research that focuses exclusively on populations who have experienced high levels of disparities. To date, our scientific enterprise has invested disproportionately in research that fails to eliminate health disparities. The implementation research methods discussed here hold promise for overcoming barriers and achieving health equity.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 83-92 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Ethnicity and Disease |
| Volume | 29 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 1 2019 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Community Partnerships
- Health Inequity
- Implementation Science
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
Cite this
}
Implementation research methodologies for achieving scientific equity and health equity. / McNulty, Moira; Smith, J D; Villamar, Juan; Burnett-Zeigler, Inger E; Vermeer, Wouter; Benbow, Nanette Dior; Gallo, Carlos; Wilensky, Uri; Hjorth, Arthur; Mustanski, Brian; Schneider, John; Brown, C Hendricks.
In: Ethnicity and Disease, Vol. 29, 01.02.2019, p. 83-92.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Implementation research methodologies for achieving scientific equity and health equity
AU - McNulty, Moira
AU - Smith, J D
AU - Villamar, Juan
AU - Burnett-Zeigler, Inger E
AU - Vermeer, Wouter
AU - Benbow, Nanette Dior
AU - Gallo, Carlos
AU - Wilensky, Uri
AU - Hjorth, Arthur
AU - Mustanski, Brian
AU - Schneider, John
AU - Brown, C Hendricks
PY - 2019/2/1
Y1 - 2019/2/1
N2 - Implementation science has great potential to improve the health of communities and individuals who are not achieving health equity. However, implementation science can exacerbate health disparities if its use is biased toward entities that already have the highest capacities for delivering evidence-based interventions. In this article, we examine several methodologic approaches for conducting implementation research to advance equity both in our understanding of what historically disadvantaged populations would need-what we call scientific equity-and how this knowledge can be applied to produce health equity. We focus on rapid ways to gain knowledge on how to engage, design research, act, share, and sustain successes in partnership with communities. We begin by describing a principle-driven partnership process between community members and implementation researchers to overcome disparities. We then review three innovative implementation method paradigms to improve scientific and health equity and provide examples of each. The first paradigm involves making efficient use of existing data by applying epidemiologic and simulation modeling to understand what drives disparities and how they can be overcome. The second paradigm involves designing new research studies that include, but do not focus exclusively on, populations experiencing disparities in health domains such as cardiovascular disease and co-occurring mental health conditions. The third paradigm involves implementation research that focuses exclusively on populations who have experienced high levels of disparities. To date, our scientific enterprise has invested disproportionately in research that fails to eliminate health disparities. The implementation research methods discussed here hold promise for overcoming barriers and achieving health equity.
AB - Implementation science has great potential to improve the health of communities and individuals who are not achieving health equity. However, implementation science can exacerbate health disparities if its use is biased toward entities that already have the highest capacities for delivering evidence-based interventions. In this article, we examine several methodologic approaches for conducting implementation research to advance equity both in our understanding of what historically disadvantaged populations would need-what we call scientific equity-and how this knowledge can be applied to produce health equity. We focus on rapid ways to gain knowledge on how to engage, design research, act, share, and sustain successes in partnership with communities. We begin by describing a principle-driven partnership process between community members and implementation researchers to overcome disparities. We then review three innovative implementation method paradigms to improve scientific and health equity and provide examples of each. The first paradigm involves making efficient use of existing data by applying epidemiologic and simulation modeling to understand what drives disparities and how they can be overcome. The second paradigm involves designing new research studies that include, but do not focus exclusively on, populations experiencing disparities in health domains such as cardiovascular disease and co-occurring mental health conditions. The third paradigm involves implementation research that focuses exclusively on populations who have experienced high levels of disparities. To date, our scientific enterprise has invested disproportionately in research that fails to eliminate health disparities. The implementation research methods discussed here hold promise for overcoming barriers and achieving health equity.
KW - Community Partnerships
KW - Health Inequity
KW - Implementation Science
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85063712734&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85063712734&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.18865/ed.29.S1.83
DO - 10.18865/ed.29.S1.83
M3 - Article
C2 - 30906154
AN - SCOPUS:85063712734
VL - 29
SP - 83
EP - 92
JO - Ethnicity and Disease
JF - Ethnicity and Disease
SN - 1049-510X
ER -