DEI in medical research

We are launching a series on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in medical research and are redoubling our commitment to representation in our pages.

Funders’ goals for diversity, equity and inclusion are laudable, but they will only be successful if the funders prioritize health disparities research and address biases in the funding application process.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is committed to increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in science and medicine, through changes in our funding and recruitment processes. These actions provide a blueprint for the global research community.

STEMM organizations must be proactive in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.

Racial equity and global inclusion are essential if biomedical science is to fulfil its mission to improve human health.

Collection of data on sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status will help to reduce health disparities that affect people from sexual and gender minority communities.

Pervasive inequality in the Americas has fueled the COVID-19 pandemic and must be tackled.

The poor health outcomes of people in the Brazilian Amazon have been exacerbated by COVID-19, and can only be improved with a health equity approach that involves local people.

Patient-reported outcomes are increasingly collected in clinical trials and in routine clinical practice, but strategies must be taken to include underserved groups to avoid increasing health disparities.

Forcibly displaced persons, such as refugees, are at an increased risk of physical and mental health conditions and would therefore benefit from novel healthcare technologies, research on which can be conducted under an ethical framework.

Genetic ancestry affects human health, but this is distinct from the impact of race, a social construct that has its foundations in systemic racism. These terms need to be better defined and understood in medical research to achieve health equity.

Ethnicity information is often missing from health data, impeding action on inequalities. Recording and using ethnicity data will require training, efforts at standardization, and policy changes, while engaging with patients and the public.

Clinical research often excludes people with disabilities who have impaired decisional capacity, but they can be included through supported decision-making, where their decisions can be assisted by designated supporters of their choosing. This will promote equitable access to research.

Gender-affirming care for transgender and gender diverse people should be inclusive, community led and evidence informed to support mental health and wellbeing.

Being transgender can inspire these researchers and improve their work, but sometimes their research has nothing to do with their identity.

Local communities protect the rainforest, but lack adequate healthcare.

Based on their experience of setting up genomic studies in underrepresented populations, the authors propose a roadmap to enhancing inclusion and ensuring that the health benefits of genomics advances are accessible to all.