The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wanted to understand the application and impact of practices in health care settings.

Disparities in health outcomes remain a significant public health concern. Differences in access to resources, historical policies, and systemic factors have contributed to variations in health, education, and economic mobility. Research shows that certain communities experience disproportionate rates of illness and mortality across various health conditions, including hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Without intentional efforts to examine and address limiting practices in health care, gaps in health outcomes may persist, creating barriers to high-quality care for many populations.

NORC and our partners led an examination of practices in health systems.

NORC, in partnership with BLKHLTH and the American Hospital Association (AHA), led an exploratory evaluation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention’s (DHDSP) with a shared purpose to increase knowledge about practices and initiatives in health systems, highlighting promising practices to transform health care, improve cardiovascular health, and reduce disparities.

NORC conducted an environmental scan concurrent with evaluability assessments (EAs) to identify three health care systems. NORC designed and implemented three rapid case study evaluations of practices being implemented in the selected health care systems. A subject matter expert panel, recruited from various backgrounds, oversaw and informed the evaluation design and implementation. Finally, NORC produced dissemination products highlighting practices in health care systems.