Studying ways to promote better health for all, recruiting diverse research participants, and co-designing studies and interventions with patients are some of the different ways EID is promoted through our research. Below are just a few examples.
Almost all cervical cancers can be prevented through screening by identifying and removing precancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). But fewer people are now getting screened, compared to 20 years ago. To help address this, a recent study that included KPWHRI researchers showed that making screening more accessible by mailing HPV test kits to people’s homes significantly increased cervical cancer screening.
At KPWHRI’s Center for Accelerating Care Transformation (ACT Center), researchers collaborated with patient partners to co-design a toolkit by and for people living with persistent pain. The “Toolkit for Managing Persistent Pain” is available in English and Spanish and provides practical tips to help anyone living with ongoing pain.
Inclusion of diverse participants in research studies is another way KPWHRI promotes EID in our work.
KPWHRI researchers also took steps to expand their study materials and scopes to be more inclusive.
KPWHRI’s internal strategic plan focused on 2 major projects in 2023: fostering a culture of well-being and diversifying our workforce. Individual departments, workgroups, and staff also took steps to promote an inclusive workplace and support EID efforts.
To help foster a culture of well-being, a group of KPWHRI employees assessed the current state of well-being and virtual and hybrid collaboration at KPWHRI. The project team organized a survey that was completed by 73% of staff (239 people) and held 5 focus groups of colleagues with different backgrounds, lengths of employment at KPWHRI, job roles, and divisions. After analyzing the information they collected, the team developed short- and long-term recommendations for improvements, such as fostering opportunities for mentoring and social connection.
To make progress on diversifying our workforce, a KPWHRI project team (formed through a blinded recruitment process) reviewed previous initiatives related to equity in hiring at the institute, collected hiring materials from every division, interviewed stakeholders from regional and national Kaiser Permanente teams, and produced a gap-analysis outlining opportunities to promote equity in hiring at KPWHRI. This work led to the development and launch of a new hiring process, with “EID Checkpoints” at every step.
Individuals and groups also advanced EID through training, tools, and other initiatives.
In 2023, KPWHRI employee groups — the Health Equity Special Interest Group, EID Champions, and the EID Committee — continued to provide opportunities for learning together about different topics on health equity in research, for collaborating and encouraging self-reflection, and for sharing resources. Sharing best practices is another theme. One example: a recent all-institute presentation on the process of translating study materials into different languages.
Engaging with communities is another way KPWHRI employees are contributing to EID. Here are a few examples.
In partnership with Fred Hutch, KPWHRI developed and implemented a summer program in data science and biostatistics for undergraduate student interns from underrepresented backgrounds in biomedical research. The project will also take place for the next 4 summers.
Another EID project led by the Center for Community Health and Evaluation (CCHE) is the production of community health needs assessment (CHNA) reports for all Kaiser Permanente regions and hospitals. CCHE completely reformatted report templates to meet ADA (Americans with Disability Act) accessibility guidelines. They are also incorporating Web Content Accessibility Guidelines into the next version of the public-facing Community Health Data Platform, which is the main source of CHNA quantitative data.
In 2023, KPWHRI marked a significant milestone: the completion of the CATALyST learning health systems (LHS) K12 training program, which trained early-career scientists to do research to improve experiences and outcomes for patients, providers, and health care delivery systems. Recognizing that health care systems need to improve access to quality care for people from historically marginalized populations, many of the CATALyST scholars focused their research on integrating the perspectives and needs of patients from these populations to design interventions that are culturally tailored and inclusive.
KPWHRI employees engaged with our community by participating in the Seattle/King County Clinic, which brings people together from across Washington state to produce a giant free health clinic at Seattle Center. Many staff members volunteered at the 4-day event, helping to provide free dental, vision, and medical care to anyone in the region who struggles to access or afford health care.
Thank you to everyone at KPWHRI for their work toward EID and to everyone, along with their teams, who contributed to this report: Carolyn Bain, Ben Balderson, Jennifer Bobb, Sarah Brush, Carol Cahill, Sascha Dublin, Carolyn Eng, Nicole Gatto, Annie Hoopes, Linda Kiel, Rebecca Lau, David Maydoney, Jennifer McClure, Jessica Mogk, Roxanne Muiruri, Daniel Riness, Lisa Schafer, Susan Shortreed, Kelsey Stefanik-Guizlo, and Karen Wernli.
Compiled by Sparrow Harness and Eric Goemer, KPWHRI EID Committee members
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Caroline Liou
Communications Director
Caroline.X.Liou@kp.org