Authors: Colleen Varcoe, Vicky Bungay, Annette J. Browne, Erin Wilson, C. Nadine Wathen, Kat Kolar, Nancy Perrin, Scott Comber, Amélie Blanchet Garneau, David Byres, Agnes Black & Elder Roberta
Publication: BMC Health Services Research
Article number: 687, 2019
Issue: 19
What we know
Social and health inequities are widening globally. Those who experience social inequities and poorer health often have the least access to appropriate care, and are more likely to experience lower quality, under-resourced care. In Canada, such conditions disproportionately affect Indigenous persons, racialized newcomers, and individuals who experience mental health challenges, substance abuse or violence.
Many individuals that are excluded within Canada face inadequate and inequitable treatment in emergency departments resulting in lack of care, decreasing an individuals likelihood to return. This generates higher human and financial costs and inefficient care delivery, due to repeat visits and delays of care in emergency departments.
Emergency departments have the potential to diminish impacts of socially constructed conditions and barriers, therefore our research looks at a study protocol for an organizational intervention to promote equity in health care.
What we hope to achieve
Through our organizational intervention, EQUIP Emergency, we hope to to improve care quality within emergency departments for those that face health inequities. A key goal is to ensure that the intervention process is effective, scalable and actionable. To do so, we are working with three emergency departments in British Columbia, selected for our existing research relationships and to maximize diversity of settings.
At each site, we will:
- Engage staff and leaders to participate in the implementation processes
- Examine impacts of EQUIP on processes of care, patient experiences, organizational policies, and staff
- Analyze the cost-benefit, feasibility, and scale-up potential
Long term goals
The EQUIP framework integrates innovative, evidence-based strategies to mitigate discrimination and racism experienced by Indigenous people, and potentially faced by people of all ethnicities. The main deliverable is EQUIP’s health equity-enhancing framework, including implementable, measurable interventions that are tested, refined and relevant to diverse emergency departments. In addition to improving care delivery, this project contributes new knowledge about how to improve health outcomes for people who experience health inequities, as well as how to implement new interventions and mobilize knowledge arising from testing complex interventions.
