Creating a tool to assess health equity in public health programs

HEART Study: Development of the Health Equitability Assessment and Readiness Tool

NIH-funded research Boston College · NIH-10905004

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 typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionBoston College NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Chestnut Hill, United States)
Project IDNIH-10905004 on NIH RePORTER

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.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: 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.

Not a fit: 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.

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 performed: 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

Chestnut Hill, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.