Reducing Racial Disparities in Health Care - April 2024 | Harvard University

How does your organization address racial equity and access to health care? Is diversity, bias, and inclusion a common conversation or evaluation to improve delivery? How do you address these difficult topics with your leadership and board members?

Racial disparity in the United States health care industry isn’t a new topic; for decades researchers have focused on quality of care, access, and safety of people of color versus their white counterparts. While in recent years quality and access has improved in the U.S. thanks to initiatives like the Affordable Care Act, there is still a gap in the quality of care different groups receive. It’s vital to continue closing the biases and disparities in health care through education, communication, and action. 

In Reducing Racial Disparities in Health Care, you will not only examine the disparities that exist when serving a diverse population, but also approach each inequity head-on to learn more about the causes and how to eliminate these issues. By focusing on data collection and performance measurements unique to your organization, you will identify how core issues in care quality of ethnic and racial minority groups, which are often multifactorial in nature, contribute to poorer health outcomes, lead to higher costs, and exemplify low-value health care.

Offered in conjunction with the Disparities Solutions Center at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), this course will use real-world examples, case studies, and insights from leaders in the field to help you digest the latest in understanding racial disparities in health care—allowing you to create strategic approaches that you can apply to your organization. You will learn how to harness and analyze data, how to visualize and communicate the results, and use feedback from stakeholders to begin closing the gap.

Remove racial biases and barriers. Improve equality in health care.