Health Equity | MedStar Health

A doctor talks with a patient's family in a hospital waiting room.

Building the evidence base for a more equitable healthcare system

Health equity research, scholarship, and community engagement are at the heart of the MedStar Center for Health Equity Research. To achieve equity in healthcare, we aim to develop evidence-based approaches to ensure that everyone can access healthcare regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, or geographic location.

Recognizing the complex multifactorial nature of health equity and the need for expertise and perspectives from multiple disciplines, our team of researchers, clinicians, and community partners collaborates to develop a genuine community-engaged research approach. In addition to addressing health disparities, health inequities, and social determinants of health, our investigators and clinician-scientists conduct research across a variety of domains, including digital health, patient safety, patient and family engagement, diagnostic errors, diabetes and chronic disease management, maternal and child health, behavioral health, and more.

The MedStar Center for Health Equity Research also partners with various community-based organizations, state and local health departments, and academic institutions, including Georgetown University’s Center for Health Equity and its Racial Justice Institute.

Fast facts

3

investigators
200+

ongoing research studies
85+

annual peer-reviewed publications

Health Equity Research: It’s How We Treat People.

Current research topics

Social determinants of health
Equity, inclusion, and diversity
Health disparities
Maternal and infant health
Patient-generated health data
Patient safety
Patient, family, and community family engagement
Diagnostic error
Minority Health
Digital health
Chronic disease management
Aging and Wellness
Telehealth and Health Technology
Community-engaged research

Our team

Research and scientific leadership

Karey M. Sutton, Ph.D., Scientific Director
Shelby Wyand, MSc., B.A. Research Scientist
Asli McCullers, MPH, Research Associate

Our work

Learn more about our work

To advance health, particularly for historically marginalized communities, the Center for Health Equity Research engages in collaborative research and education to activate, inform, and transform health for patients, families, healthcare providers, and communities.

The primary goal of our research is to advance health equity by exploring upstream factors such as racism and other social determinants of health that can inform policies and programs. Moreover, we aim to train and mentor the next generation of health equity scientists to build their capacity for conducting solutions-focused health equity research.

To ensure success, the Center collaborates with research teams and community partners to provide support and technical assistance to local, state, national, and international organizations in a variety of ways, including:

Research Design, implementation, and/or evaluation
Conceptual, methodological, and empirical research on health disparities, health equity, and the social determinants of health 
Population-based survey research design, data collection, and analysis 
Analytic support
Translation of existing scientific knowledge into materials that are accessible and engaging to broad, non-technical audiences 
Speaking engagements
Consultation with subject matter expert(s)
Writing support: including grants, papers, presentations, and nonacademic methods of dissemination