Project Grant R13HS029444

SUMMIT ON THE ADVANCEMENT OF FOCUSED EQUITY RESEARCH IN TRAUMA (SAFER-TRAUMA) - PROGRAM DIRECTOR/PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: HO, VANESSA PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT TRAUMA, OR PHYSICAL INJURY FROM MECHANISMS SUCH AS MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES, VIOLENCE, OR FALLS, IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR AMERICANS UNDER AGE 46.(1) IN 2016, A REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE (NASEM) ESTIMATED THAT AS MANY AS 20% OF ALL DEATHS FROM TRAUMA MAY BE PREVENTED WITH OPTIMAL TRAUMA CARE, WHICH TRANSLATES TO NEARLY 300,000 LIVES SAVED OVER TEN YEARS.(2) IN AN IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCE, TRAUMA CARE SHOULD BE "THE GREAT EQUALIZER" - TRAUMA CARE SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO ALL WHO PRESENT WITH INJURIES, REGARDLESS OF INSURANCE STATUS, SKIN COLOR, OR OTHER FACTORS. HOWEVER, RESEARCH IN TRAUMA POPULATIONS OVER THE LAST FIFTEEN YEARS HAS LARGELY DEMONSTRATED THAT POOR OUTCOMES AFTER INJURY DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT AMERICANS FROM UNFAIRLY DISADVANTAGED RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS, RURAL AND INNER-CITY RESIDENTS, ECONOMICALLY MARGINALIZED GROUPS, CHILDREN, AND OLDER ADULTS.(3) DESPITE RESEARCH DEMONSTRATING THAT DISPARITIES ARE PRESENT, PERVASIVE, AND PERSISTENT IN TRAUMA, WE HAVE NOT YET DEVELOPED UNIFIED STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS, REDUCE, AND ELIMINATE HEALTH INEQUITIES. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COALITION FOR NATIONAL TRAUMA RESEARCH (CNTR), A CONFERENCE TITLED THE SUMMIT ON THE ADVANCEMENT OF FOCUSED EQUITY RESEARCH IN TRAUMA (SAFER-TRAUMA) WILL GENERATE RESEARCH STRATEGIES TO IDENTIFY TRAUMA-RELATED HEALTH INEQUITIES, ELUCIDATE THEIR UNDERLYING CAUSES, AND DEVELOP INNOVATIVE INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS, REDUCE, AND ELIMINATE THEM. THIS PROPOSED SUMMIT WILL CONVENE KEY STAKEHOLDERS TO ILLUSTRATE HEALTH INEQUITIES IN TRAUMA, HIGHLIGHT RELEVANT CURRENT RESEARCH, AND ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING AIMS: 1) CHARACTERIZE CURRENT GAPS REGARDING RESEARCH IN HEALTH EQUITY IN TRAUMA, 2) IDENTIFY FUNDING MECHANISMS AND PATHWAYS FOR COLLABORATION, AND 3) OUTLINE A RESEARCH AGENDA TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES IN TRAUMA. THE SUMMIT IS BEING ORGANIZED BY THE CNTR EQUITY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE, WHICH COMPRISES REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL THE MAJOR NATIONAL TRAUMA ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT TRAUMA OUTCOMES, RESEARCH, AND EQUITY. THE REACH OF THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE WILL ALLOW FOR THE ENGAGEMENT OF CLINICIANS, RESEARCHERS, AND STAKEHOLDERS TO PRIORITIZE RESEARCH INTO HEALTH INEQUITIES VIA AN INTERDISCIPLINARY AND COLLABORATIVE NETWORK AND DEVELOP AN ACTIONABLE RESEARCH AGENDA. THESE COLLABORATIONS WILL LAY THE FOUNDATION TO TEST, DISSEMINATE, AND ASSESS EFFECTIVE PRACTICES TO IDENTIFY HEALTH INEQUITIES IN TRAUMA CARE, ELUCIDATE THEIR UNDERLYING CAUSES, AND DEVELOP INTERVENTIONS. PAGE CONTINUATION FORMAT PAGE