A Call to Action for Health Equity: White Paper by the TCNS Scholars Education Interest Group.

Abstract

Introduction: Despite significant initiatives to address adverse social determinants, excess burden of disease and mortality persist among diverse minorities and socially disadvantaged groups. Recent changes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging programs have affected organizational efforts to increase participation of underrepresented groups.

Methods: White Paper synthesizes initiatives designed to achieve health and health care equity and provides evidence from studies of different approaches.

Results: Distinct differences in approaches and outcomes were found specific to mitigating health disparities from health care inequities. Individual- and organizational-level approaches tend to mitigate inequities in health care delivery but are insufficient in eradicating adverse social determinants of poor health among socially disadvantaged groups.

Discussion: Organizational leaders and health care professionals are called upon to engage in multidisciplinary and multisectoral collaboration to influence public policies at the highest level of government and private stakeholders. Culturally competent approaches are envisioned to target individual-, organizational-, and community/societal-level changes.