Principal Investigator:
Donald Likosky, PhD (University of Michigan Department of Cardiac Surgery)
Daphne C. Watkins, PhD (University of Michigan School of Social Work)
Russell Funk, PhD (University of Minnesota School of Management)

Funded by:
National Lung, Heart, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health

Project Goals and Approach:
Structural racism and discrimination (SRD) are pervasive throughout the current system of HF care delivery in the U.S. and are key drivers of different HF care and outcomes that systematically disadvantage patients. This study focuses on disadvantages related to patient race, ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, and other identities by examining HF care delivery networks within this structure (i.e., the social relationships of providers supporting HF care delivery within and across organizations). While evidence-based HF care and outcomes require robust care delivery networks, networks serving racial and ethnic minority populations are systematically weaker, contributing to poorer access, care coordination, and outcomes.

Specific Aims:

This project aims to address SRD in HF care by examining determinants of disparities and identifying stakeholder-informed areas of intervention within care delivery networks, which will inform a toolkit to enhance equitable HF care and outcomes. Our transdisciplinary team’s productive collaboration will leverage expertise across cardiovascular care and epidemiology, health equity mixed methods, and social network analysis to:

Aim 1: Evaluate the “social structure of care delivery” for populations disproportionately affected by SRD in HF care delivery and outcomes.

Aim 2: Develop a comprehensive understanding of structural barriers and facilitators for equitable HF care and outcomes.

Aim 3. Develop a best practices toolkit to address SRD in HF care and outcomes.

Initial Findings

The study is currently in progress

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