The State of Health Equity Research

Closing Knowledge Gaps to Address Inequities

This report , presents results of an analysis of disparities-focused health services research study jointly conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges and AcademyHealth.

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A new report published jointly by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and AcademyHealth, The State of Health Equity Research: Closing Knowledge Gaps to Address Inequities, presents results of an analysis of disparities-focused health services research (HSR) study jointly conducted by AAMC and AcademyHealth. Based on data from the Health Services Research Projects-in-Progress (HSRProj) database from the National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine, the report describes the funders and funding recipients of health disparities-focused HSR and gaps in the populations and outcomes studied. Five-year trends in the evolution of disparities research, from documenting inequities, to investigating casual mechanisms, to identifying solutions, are examined. 

The analysis reveals: 

  • Populations with high morbidity and mortality—such as persons with disabilities, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, rural populations, and American Indians/Native Americans—are relatively underrepresented in disparities-focused HSR; 
  • Certain health outcomes with marked disparities—such as developmental disabilities, asthma, and kidney conditions—are relatively underrepresented in disparities-focused HSR; and
  • Over the five-year period studied, there has been an increasing emphasis on disparities-focused HSR that seeks to document solutions that close or minimize health inequities.