Evaluating Interventions To Reduce Health Care Disparities: An RWJF Program

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change program funds evaluation of interventions to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular disease, depression, and diabetes. Of the 177 applications received in 2006, the most prevalent proposed interventions were patient or provider education (57 percent), community health workers (25 percent), case management (24 percent), integrated health care (24 percent), and cultural modification (24 percent). Policy interventions, including pay-for-performance (P4P) incentives, were lacking. The eleven grantees target patients, providers, patient-provider communication, health care organizations, and communities in innovative ways. We identify important future research questions.