Translating Research into Practice

Growing Thoughts: Equity in Implementation Science

A connected network supports families by ensuring their needs are met and not overlooked by gaps in the system or through coordination of services. Through the implementation process and throughout the cultivation of an IRIS community, the IRIS approach is poised to address equitable processes to support the wellbeing of families and communities. We find ourselves considering where our efforts will provide the most impact for the communities we support and the families they see every day.

In finding a place to focus, we gathered in the greenhouse to connect over the Stanford Social Innovation Review’s piece, Equity in Implementation Science Is Long Overdue. This piece provided our team with points of reflection to guide discussions on how we may hold ourselves accountable regarding equity. Those who are working to implement programs, strategies, and build capacity are urged to consider the three calls to action, as developed by the authors:

• Engage with historically underserved community members and collaborate with other disciplines for evidence development with equity at the forefront.
• Pay attention to intervention selection and outcomes measurement by examining their relationship to social determinants of health.
• Develop equitable implementation strategies.

As we build our collective knowledge, as well as integrate best practices among the fields of social justice and implementation science, we will continue to bring forward these approaches to work collaboratively with our partners to achieve equity in addressing social determinants of health. Inspired by the authors’ reflection and discussion questions, we examine the following:

1. What type of social determinant of health outcomes could you also measure? 
2. In what ways are policies and systems shaped by cultural and historical dynamics?
3. Are families/clients safe, heard, and empowered in the current service interactions?

We encourage all to consider how their approaches support families and the health of their collective community as we navigate complex systems together. 

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