TY - JOUR

T1 - The Health Inequalities Assessment Toolkit

T2 - supporting integration of equity into applied health research

AU - Porroche-Escudero, Ana

AU - Popay, Jennie

PY - 2021/9/30

Y1 - 2021/9/30

N2 - BackgroundDespite insistent calls for more and better evidence to inform action to reduce health inequities, applied health research sensitive to these inequalities is rare. Recognising this problem, the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Research and Care in the North West Coast (England) developed the Health Inequalities Assessment Toolkit (HIAT) to support those involved in health research to integrate equity into their work.ObjectiveThis paper reports on an evaluation of the extent to which HIAT enhances the equity focus of the work of users.MethodsThe evaluation used semi-structured interviews, focus groups and workshops (n = 131 respondents including Public Advisers, university, NHS and local government partners). Routine data included HIAT feedback forms.FindingsHIAT can help to strengthen the equity focus of applied health research by: increasing understanding of how socioeconomic inequities impact on health; building capacity for integrating equity into all aspects of research, implementation and capacity building; stimulating thinking on action to address local structural drivers of health inequalities; and increasing understanding of the positive contribution public involvement can make to research.ConclusionIf we are to advance health equity goals delivering research and training needs to be combined with political commitment to create more equal societies.

AB - BackgroundDespite insistent calls for more and better evidence to inform action to reduce health inequities, applied health research sensitive to these inequalities is rare. Recognising this problem, the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Research and Care in the North West Coast (England) developed the Health Inequalities Assessment Toolkit (HIAT) to support those involved in health research to integrate equity into their work.ObjectiveThis paper reports on an evaluation of the extent to which HIAT enhances the equity focus of the work of users.MethodsThe evaluation used semi-structured interviews, focus groups and workshops (n = 131 respondents including Public Advisers, university, NHS and local government partners). Routine data included HIAT feedback forms.FindingsHIAT can help to strengthen the equity focus of applied health research by: increasing understanding of how socioeconomic inequities impact on health; building capacity for integrating equity into all aspects of research, implementation and capacity building; stimulating thinking on action to address local structural drivers of health inequalities; and increasing understanding of the positive contribution public involvement can make to research.ConclusionIf we are to advance health equity goals delivering research and training needs to be combined with political commitment to create more equal societies.

KW - Health inequalities

KW - Mainstreaming

KW - Health research

KW - Medical education

KW - Social determinants of health inequities

U2 - 10.1093/pubmed/fdaa047

DO - 10.1093/pubmed/fdaa047

M3 - Journal article

VL - 43

SP - 567

EP - 572

JO - Journal of Public Health (United Kingdom)

JF - Journal of Public Health (United Kingdom)

SN - 1741-3842

IS - 3

ER -