Equity in Research
Equity in clinical and translational research is an important piece of the puzzle to ensure everyone, including traditionally underserved and underrepresented groups, can benefit from research. Intentional and inclusive engagement and recruitment of a diverse population of research participants and research staff is so important to a key mission of clinical research and trials: to improve the health of everyone in the population.
The online module is designed to provide an overview of health disparities, health equity, and the current state of equity and diversity in clinical research. This course begins to frame the ‘why’ around mindful and intentional engagement and recruitment of a diverse population of research participants and research staff. It also provides an overview of the importance of incorporating a health equity and diversity lens into study plans.
Resources
Resources:
- Duke CTSI Equity in Research Core
- CTSI Research Equity Resources: Includes courses and useful links for incorporating equity in research
- Equity in Research Consultation Request with the CTSI
- Duke Office of Diversity and Inclusion Resources
- Duke Center for Research to Advance Healthcare Equity (REACH Equity)
- Harvard Implicit Bias Test
Health Disparities: Health disparities are the significant differences in disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and survival across diverse populations. They are the result of the inequalities and inequity that occur in access, use, and provision of healthcare information and services across different race, ethnic, gender, socioeconomic, sexual orientation, and other underrepresented groups.
Social Determinants of Health: Community-wide and national problems like poverty, unemployment, underfunded public education, inadequate housing, and lack of public transportation are among the factors that shape community health and contribute to health inequities. These are some of the factors known as social determinants of health. They affect the health of adults, children, families, and communities in complex ways.
Equality: Equality is defined by The Equality and Human Rights Commission as the distribution of the same resources and opportunities to every individual across a population. The assumption is that with equal treatment everyone benefits from receiving the same support. This is often not the case.
Equity: Equity is defined by the World Health Organization as the customized distribution of resources and opportunities across a population to ensure no subset of groups are at a particular disadvantage over others in achieving their maximum potential. Health Equity exists when there are no unnecessary, avoidable, unfair, and unjust, systemically caused differences in health status. With equity, everyone gets the level and types of support that meet their needs. Here is an example from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Interview
Patrice Jordan Fleming, MS
Research Program Leader
Equity in Research (EIR) Core and Community Engaged Research Initiative (CERI)
Duke Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI)
Just Ask Video
Nadine Barrett, PhD
Assistant Professor | Family Medicine & Community Health, Duke School of Medicine
Director | Center for Equity in Research, Duke Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI)
Associate Director | Equity, Community & Stakeholder Strategy, Duke Cancer Institute and Duke CTSI
