Catalyzing restructure of a broken health care system

Strategies for cardiovascular equity may emerge, such as using new technology or risk calculators (particularly artificial intelligence incorporating social determinants of health and mechanisms to address them), creating financial resources for communities or reallocating resources, changing training, advocating for public policy changes, changing hospital protocols, utilizing media, building a more diverse team, empowering a multidisciplinary team, and other novel ideas. While not included in this model, it is critically important to set metrics for equity designed by the stakeholders, routinely assess for success, and reiterate the strategies as needed to reach equity metrics.

At Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, we are seeking to highlight science that addresses these strategies described in our framework, particularly foundational work developed with community-based participatory research and mixed methods. An example of pivotal qualitative work led by Dr Anika Hines used photovoice to help Black patients with hypertension and chronic kidney disease digitally share, using photographs, how structural racism contributes to their food environment, and how cardiovascular equity might be attained.