Recommendations for Reporting Research About Racial Disparities in Medical and Scientific Journals
Visit Article
Research investigating racial disparities in health care and health outcomes is critically important to designing effective interventions to improve health for all. Knowing the demographic characteristics of the study population of interest is a key step in ensuring generalizable research and appropriate interpretation of data. Despite good intentions, errors are often made in the presentation and interpretation of findings in racial disparity research. These errors have high stakes: research reports have directly contributed to systemic health inequities through the perpetuation or creation of mistruths and race-based assumptions and lack of presentation of rigorous research strategies aimed at dismantling inequities.