This resource library was developed as part of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Initiative to Address Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities. While the 108 OT21-2103 grant recipients are the primary audience for this resource library, we also encourage its use by other state, local, tribal, US territorial, and freely associated state health departments, as well as other organizations working to address health disparities.
Watch this video for a step-by-step guide for using this repository:
The practices and associated resources are organized primarily by the four grant strategies and select levels of evidence. There are also several filter categories to search for resources.
The four grant strategies are:
Mitigation and PreventionExpand existing and/or develop new mitigation and prevention resources and services to reduce health disparities among populations at higher risk and those that are underserved.
Data Collection and ReportingIncrease/improve data collection and reporting for populations experiencing a disproportionate burden of health disparities, severe illness, and mortality to guide responses to public health challenges.
Infrastructure SupportBuild, leverage, and expand infrastructure support for health prevention and control among populations that are at higher risk and underserved.
Partnerships and CollaborationMobilize partners and collaborators to advance health equity and address social determinants of health among populations at higher risk and those that are underserved.
The four levels of evidence1 are:
- Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes when implemented in multiple real-life settings, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities
Best - Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities, and are suitable for adaptation by other communities
Promising - Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and produce early results that are consistent with the objectives of the activities and thus indicate effectiveness
Emerging - Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and are in the process of generating evidence of effectiveness or may not yet be tested
Novel
1Definitions have been adapted from the following sources:
The resources were selected for inclusion in the Resource Library through a review by four partner organizations: the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, the Colorado Health Institute, Health Resources in Action, and the University of Michigan School of Social Work. The partners conducted a review of literature related to the four grant strategies: mitigation and prevention, data collection and reporting, infrastructure support, and partnerships and collaboration.
The partners employed a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure included resources are relevant, reliable, evidence-informed, and useful to practitioners. For the purposes of the review, the term “practice” is used broadly to include interventions, programs, strategies, policies, procedures, processes, or activities.
The partners sought to include a range of resources, including those about new and innovative practices that have not yet produced peer-reviewed literature. Therefore, the review included peer-reviewed and grey literature to include relevant practices that have not yet been well documented or formally evaluated. As a result, the Resource Library contains practices designated as novel, emerging, promising, and best1 based on the level of established evidence related to the practice, among other criteria.
The Partners will continue to review the available literature to identify relevant resources throughout the duration of the OT21-2103 grant.
1Definitions have been adapted from the following sources:
Each level of evidence1 has several criteria that were used to include or exclude resources for this library. The levels of evidence may change as additional evidence emerges. The levels of evidence are as follows:
A Best Practice
- demonstrates achievement of short-to-intermediate outcomes related to the objectives,
- is replicable in other settings,
- involves relevant partners in decision-making,
- is ethically sound, which necessitates cultural responsiveness and consideration of groups that are at increased risk of poor outcomes, and
- demonstrates equitable access and distribution of benefits including a reduction in health disparities
A Promising Practice
- produces measurable, desirable results related to the objectives,
- has high potential for replication in other settings,
- involves relevant partners in decision-making,
- is ethically sound, which necessitates cultural responsiveness and consideration of groups that are at increased risk of poor outcomes, and
- assesses the potential impact on health disparities and the extent to which the practice is accessible and benefits are equitably distributed
An Emerging Practice
- has documented some positive changes related to the desired objectives,
- has relevance beyond the setting(s) in which it was developed or piloted,
- involves relevant partners in decision-making,
- is ethically sound, which necessitates cultural responsiveness and consideration of groups that are at increased risk of poor outcomes, and
- considers equitable access, distribution of benefits, and potential impact on health disparities throughout planning and implementation
A Novel Practice
- shows promise to produce desirable results based on the program theory
- involves relevant partners in decision-making,
- is ethically sound, which necessitates cultural responsiveness and consideration of groups that are at increased risk of poor outcomes, and
- considers equitable access, distribution of benefits, and potential impact on health disparities throughout planning and implementation
1Definitions have been adapted from the following sources:
The Health Equity Resource Library is updated on a monthly basis with new and updated resources.
To cite a source found on the resource library, see examples below. The resource library name is Health Equity Library.
MLA format: Last, First M. “Article Title.” Publication Title, volume, number, issue (if provided), date published, page numbers (if applicable). Database Name, DOI or URL. Date accessed.
Vol 2, no. 1, 2017, pp 44-49. {insert resource library URL here}. Accessed
7 June 2022.
APA format: Last, First M. Article Title. Publication title, Volume (number) page numbers. Retrieved from: [insert resource library URL here].
2(1), 44-49. Retrieved from: {insert resource library URL here}
If you come across a resource that is not in the library but you think would be an appropriate fit, you can suggest the resource.
Visit the About the Health Equity Resource Library for more details about the library. If you have any further questions, please visit the contact us page to get more information.