PANEL 1 - Diversity in Clinical Trials

One major problem for health equity is ensuring that the studies that test medical treatments reflect the populations of people who will receive them. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought health disparities into the spotlight and further highlighted the stark differences in trial demographics—particularly with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. Despite regulatory directives and public expectations, there remain underrepresented populations in clinical trials, such as women, diverse ethnic and racial groups, people living with disabilities, children, and the elderly. This panel will discuss challenges and solutions towards increasing clinical trial diversity.

 

PANEL 2 - Community-Level Engagement in Healthcare

Community engagement is a process of developing relationships that enable stakeholders to work together to address health-related issues and promote well-being, and ultimately achieve better health outcomes. At its core, community engagement can address socio economic issues that are the root causes of many existing disparities in health equity. Through a collaborative process, members from the community, stakeholder organizations, and healthcare providers can work to identify needs most important to the community and pursue meaningful strategies to address those needs. This panel will explore the many challenges and opportunities in developing a successful and sustainable community engagement model.

 

PANEL 3 - Innovation in the Healthcare Industry

In healthcare, the term “innovation” can apply to the development of new therapies, drugs, or medical devices. However, we have also seen unprecedented acceleration and adoption of innovative healthcare technologies as a direct result of COVID-19. As our nation continues to improve our healthcare system beyond the current pandemic, innovation must be explored in a broader context, examining previously underdeveloped opportunities in areas such as access to care, data analytics, consumer behavior, provider incentives, and process improvement in care delivery.

 

PANEL 4 - Empowered Patient: The Changing Dynamics Between Patients and Providers

Patient empowerment is a process through which individuals gain greater control over decisions and information affecting their own health. Empowering patients to actively participate in managing their care can enhance medical outcomes and lower costs. However, language barriers and cultural nuances can present challenges to ensuring AA & NH/PI patients can effectively manage their healthcare. Access to in-language patient navigators, accessible tools, and accurate information can be essential to patient empowerment. This panel will discuss opportunities and challenges toward that goal.