The AMA Commission to End Health Care Disparities asked the DRA Project to develop a paper that identifies future opportunities in the emerging area of biomonitoring to reduce disparities. The paper, based on the findings and recommendations of the DRA Project's biomonitoring component, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, reviews developments in testing platforms, applications in diabetes and cancer, key opportunities, caveats (e.g. understanding the limited role of biomonitoring), criteria for biomonitoring applications, and provides recommendations. Click here to read it.
SELECTED PROJECTS
DRA PARTNERS
The DRA Project relies heavily on our network of Sponsors and Partners for our success. We would like to welcome Center for Integrative Medicine in Public Health (CIMPH) as our latest partner. CIMPH is a diverse team of dedicated professionals representing a wide range of specialties including clinical and public health practice, research, epidemiology, health disparities, education and agriculture that share a common interest in defining and developing the intersection of integrative medicine with public health.
DISPARITY REDUCING ADVANCES (DRA)
The Disparity Reducing Advances Project (the DRA Project) is a multi-year, multi-stakeholder project developed by the Institute for Alternative Futures (IAF) to identify the most promising advances for bringing health gains to the poor and underserved and accelerating the development and deployment of these advances to reduce disparities.
The DRA Project works to overcome health disparities by targeting the advances with the highest potential for reducing health disparities and then creating a network of organizations committed to accelerating the development and deployment of those advances. The network will include health care systems and local providers, major Federal government agencies, technology developers, and consumer and patient organizations.
DRA FORESIGHT SEMINARS
Community Health Centers Leveraging the Social Determinants of Health
With support from the Kresge Foundation and in partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers, IAF explored the ways in which community health centers across the nation are addressing the social, economic, and physical conditions that contribute to poor health among the patients they serve. The report, a database of cases, case studies, and other materials are available here.
10/20/09 The Social Determinants of Health, and Health in All Policies
The DRA Project in conjunction with the Congressional Black Congress Health Brain Trust held its fourth DRA Foresight Briefing on October 20th, 2009 in Washington, D.C. View Summary
Foresight Seminars on Health Innovation, and Foresight Chronicles
Beginning in 1978, IAF has organized more than 117 Foresight Seminars to provide Congress, executive agencies and the private sector a forum for looking to the future of health and innovation. A list of selected seminars is available here. IAF's Foresight Chronicles paper chronicles the forecasts and insights developed through these Foresight Seminars from 1978 through 1998.
2/25/09 Health Equity: Focusing on Health in All Policies
The DRA Project in conjunction with the Congressional Black Congress Health Brain Trust held its third DRA Foresight Briefing on February 25th, 2009 in Washington, D.C. View Summary
DRA REPORTS
Commission to End Health Care Disparities
Report of the National Expert Panel on Social Determinants of Health Equity
Co-written by IAF and provided as a resource on policy and change by UNNATURAL CAUSES...is inequality making us sick?, this report encapsulates the critical thinking, key arguments and recommendations of nationally recognized experts in the area of social determinants of health equity. Click here to view the report.
Biomonitoring Futures Project
With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, IAF developed the Biomonitoring Futures Project (BFP), which identifies trends in emerging biomonitoring technologies, explores them in the context of healthy living and prevention,and examines how they can reduce health care disparities particularly for cancer and diabetes. BFP also provides forecasts for future development and use of these technologies. Other output included the Biomonitoring Platform Assessment Report, the Health Information Systems Report, and the Final Report and Recommendations.
2009 State of the Health Equity Movement
In 2009, the DRA Project reached out to organizations around the nation to report on their activities that aimed to reduce health disparities, and developed its first set of reports on the State of the Health Equity Movement:
09-01 Health Equity Policies: A Review of the Recommendations
View PDF
09-02 Health Equity Recommendations Selected Overview
View PDF
09-03 State of the Health Equity Movement Memo
View PDF