How Can Practice-based Research Contribute to the Elimination of Health Disparities?

Abstract

Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in health care and health outcomes are well documented. Disparities research is evolving from documenting these disparities, to understanding their causes and mechanisms, and finally to conducting interventional research to reduce or eliminate disparities. Unfortunately, few studies to date have demonstrated substantial reductions in health outcomes disparities.Traditional experimental models of research that test a single intervention held constant throughout the study period may not have the power to impact complex clusters of comorbid health disparities in patients who receive care in underresourced primary care safety net practice settings. New models of research will be required to test dynamic, multidimensional interventions that triangulate on patients, providers, and communities and are continuously improved with every radar-sweep of feedback from rapid-cycle measurement of population health outcomes on a community-wide basis. In this article, we review 12 promising strategies that could substantially increase the impact of research on eliminating health disparities in America.

Race, ethnicity, and eating disorders: Considerations for DSM-V

“…This disparity is not unique to eating disorders and occurs across many medical and psychological problems. 20 The field of eating disorders can learn from colleagues in medicine who have focused on identifying ways to enhance access to care in ethnically diverse samples. 21,22 Clinicians need to be attuned to the apparent greater reluctance to seek treatment for eating disorders in women of color.…”

No Longer Simply a Practice-based Research Network (PBRN): Health Improvement Networks

“…Research in some PBRNs began to take the form of a partnership between clinicians and their communities, and the reach of that research now included interventions linking primary care and communities. 5 Communities began to participate in the research process, in some cases even to become partners with the PBRNs and their clinicians, defining research priorities and approaches. [6][7][8] This article was externally peer reviewed.…”

Building a Bridge Between Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) and Primary Care Practice-based Research (PBR)

“…To the Editor: Tar Wars, as evaluated by Cain et al, 1 is part of a large movement of knowledge-based, earlyeducation programs designed to inform elementary school students about the dangers of tobacco use. The authors have attempted to lend support to the claim that "school-based tobacco education is one part of a comprehensive approach to youth tobacco prevention activities that has been shown to decrease youth tobacco initiation."…”