Health equity starts with equitable research and evidence
10/20/2023
How do we ensure our health care practice and policy benefits everyone? This is a core question asked by researchers, policymakers, and health care professionals dedicated to achieving health equity.
Health equity requires us to understand and account for the diverse needs of individuals in our care and our health system, so each person can reach their best possible health outcomes, free from barriers and bias.
Achieving health equity in practice and policy begins with the evidence. Co-hosted by the Campbell Collaboration and Bruyère Research Institute, the What Works Global Summit conference is an international nexus of experts in research, policy, and practice guiding the conversation on how research and science can improve lives worldwide.
“Advancing global health equity requires evidence on what works across social determinants of health such as education, employment, justice, social welfare, climate solutions; all of which are covered in the remit of the Campbell Collaboration,” said Vivian Welch, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of the Campbell Collaboration and Senior Investigator with the Bruyère Research Institute.
There may not always be a one-size-fits-all approach to care. Better outcomes come from relevant and high-quality evidence and implementation into clinical practice. From researcher to health practitioner, when we ask “what works?” we have to ask: Who does this work for? Does this work for everybody?
“Policy makers at every level need to be equipped with the best evidence to help them make the best decisions when addressing the many challenges before them. This is especially important as we combat unprecedented levels of health misinformation,” Dr. Kumanan Wilson shared during the opening plenary of the summit this week. “The work of the many dedicated people across our organizations supports research that helps us provide better care for our patients and our community.”
"If we look at how evidence synthesis has transformed practice, we can see that the work can touch billions of lives. As an evidence organization, the Campbell Collaboration wants to do more of this kind of work, to genuinely makes a difference to the world," said Will Moy, CEO of Campbell Collaboration.