Health system issues were featured at last month’s Annual Research Meeting (ARM) with a focus on equity, the impact of new data sources on decision making, and the need to advance the workforce.

New research published in JAMA reveals that Black enrollees were considerably less likely than white enrollees to be treated with medications for opioid use disorder and were less likely to have continuity of such treatment. Results are based on data from the Medicaid Outcomes Distributed Research Network (MODRN), supported by AcademyHealth.

The first in a series highlighting key takeaways from the 13th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health, this post describes best practices for planning, documenting, and evaluating adaptations within complex interventions.

In a session at the 2021 Annual Research Meeting, Paradigm Project volunteers described innovations to act on diversity, equity, and inclusion, address racial bias in data, and build partnerships with community-based organizations. Panelists shared their lessons learned for building a movement to disrupt the status quo in health services research (HSR) and challenged the field to leverage Paradigm Project practices to spur innovation in order to advance more timely, impactful research.

Go behind the scenes of decision-making in Washington

Social media platforms are grappling with their role in curbing misinformation and promoting accurate information, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Panelists at last month’s Annual Research Meeting discussed strategies for researchers and health care leaders to combat misinformation.

Several breakout and plenary sessions at the 2021 Annual Research Meeting considered the role of health services research (HSR) in addressing health equity and structural racism, both in the field and in our health care system, particularly as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.