Creating a tool to assess health equity in public health programs
Official title: HEART Study: Development of the Health Equitability Assessment and Readiness Tool
Funded at Boston College · NIH-10905004 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is creating a helpful tool called HEART to see how well public health programs are helping communities, especially those affected by diseases like HIV, and it aims to make sure everyone gets the care they need to be healthy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chestnut Hill, United States) |
| Project start | August 10, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $469,500 |
| NIH project number | 5DP2AI177966-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10905004 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include children and young individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups, particularly those affected by HIV and other communicable diseases.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not belong to the targeted racial and ethnic groups or who are not affected by the conditions being studied may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing the Health Equitability Assessment and Readiness Tool (HEART) to evaluate how well public health programs address health disparities, particularly in communities affected by infectious diseases like HIV. By employing mixed methods, the project aims to create measurable domains of health equity and validate the tool's effectiveness in various settings. The goal is to help researchers and policymakers identify gaps in health equity and improve health outcomes for underserved populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved health equity and better health outcomes for marginalized communities.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success in developing assessment tools for health equity, indicating that this approach has potential for meaningful impact.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Irie, Whitney Chivonne — Boston College
- Study coordinator: Irie, Whitney Chivonne
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.