January 31, 2026 Continue reading
Health Equity
Bynum and team publish findings from research into geographic disparities in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis
Congratulations to Julie Bynum, MD, MPH from the University of Michigan‘s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and the team for their newest research findings reflecting the disparities in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis based on geographic location!
Highlights from the research:
- The rate of new Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) case identification varies geographically across the United States.
- Variation in case identification is greatest in Black, Hispanic, and young-old groups.
- Intensity of diagnosis (i.e., case identification) unrelated to population risk differs across place.
- Likelihood of receiving an ADRD diagnosis varies 2-fold based on place of residence.
Read the full article to learn more about their insightful findings: https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14092
IMPACT members publish two articles on best practices for health equity in pragmatic trials in Ethnicity & Disease special report
IMPACT members Rafael Samper-Ternent, MD, PhD and Susan Mitchell, MD, MPH are primary authors in the recently published Original Report: Pragmatic Trials Among Older Adults by the publication Ethnicity & Disease. The articles provide best practices for health equity in embedded pragmatic clinical trials(ePCTs) for dementia care.
Considerations When Designing and Implementing Pragmatic Clinical Trials That Include Older Hispanics by Dr. Samper-Ternent, IMPACT Pilot Study awardee, Aanand D. Naik, MD and others describes health equity practices for older Hispanic adults with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRDs). The authors provide data from two PCTs about the recruitment of older Hispanics with ADRDs and discuss unique challenges associated with conducting PCTs and propose strategies to overcome challenges.
Best Practice Recommendations for Integrating Health Equity into Pragmatic Clinical Trials for Dementia Care by IMPACT’s Susan Mitchell, MD, MPH, Ellen McCarthy, PhD, MPH, Ladson Hinton, MD, Ana Quiñones, PhD, Katherine Peak, MPH, and IMPACT faculty scholar Manka Nkimbeng, PhD, MPH, RN, describes the development, structure, and content of a guidance document developed by the IMPACT Collaboratory to help investigators integrate health equity into all aspects of ePCTs designed for people living with dementia.
IMPACT authors publish commentary on medical therapies in nursing homes
IMPACT members Kathleen Unroe, MD, MHA, MS, Debra Saliba, MD, MPH, Sheryl Zimmerman, PhD and Jerry Gurwitz, MD, contribute commentary in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society citing IMPACT and the Long Term Data Cooperative as National Institute on Aging (NIA) initiatives that provide foundational work addressing the identification and capture of important clinical outcomes, laying the groundwork for a nursing home clinical trials network. The commentary is based on the article Evaluation of medical therapies in the nursing home population: Gaps, challenges, and next steps.
Aranda inducted as fellow at American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare
IMPACT’s Health Equity Team co-leader Maria Aranda, PhD, MSW, MMPA, LCSW was inducted as a 2024 fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW). Aranda is one of two distinguished faculty members inducted from the University of Southern California (USC) Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. The AASWSW recognizes the accomplishments of scholars, practitioners and policy leaders dedicated to achieving excellence in high-impact work to advance social good. Aranda received the honor at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on January 13.
IMPACT Certificate Program – Best Practices for Integrating Health Equity into ePCTs for Dementia Care
IMPACT Collaboratory introduced its latest online training program designed to empower researchers at all levels in integrating health equity considerations into embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials (ePCTs) for people living with dementia (PLWD) and their care partners.
Program Overview:
This comprehensive training program, aligned with the “Best Practices for Integrating Health Equity into ePCTs for Dementia Care” document, equips researchers with the knowledge and skills to incorporate health equity considerations into design and research activities at every level of ePCTs for people living with dementia. The program covers six essential topic areas:
· Getting Started
· Community Partner Engagement
· Design and Analysis
· Intervention Design and Implementation
· Healthcare System and Participant Selection
· Selecting Outcomes
Key Features:
· Free, accessible online training
· Six courses, each including 2-5 brief and engaging videos
· Self-paced learning, typically completed in 3 hours or less
· Certificate upon successful completion of the program
Access the Training:
Visit the IMPACT Collaboratory HE certificate web page for details and links to set up your free learning account. This account not only provides access to the health equity training program but also to other certificate programs and training materials.