Information for Authors

Goals of the Special Issue

To advance the study of health equity in patient-centered outcomes research and the associated data infrastructure needs, the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) with the RAND Corporation are sponsoring a scientific symposium and accompanying special issue in the journal Medical Care focused on research findings that advance the understanding of the role of health equity in comparative effectiveness research and patient-centered outcomes research, including how human/social services may support health outcomes either in conjunction with health care services or independently. In addition, authors are encouraged to describe related data gaps or advancements in how data are collected, linked, and analyzed to incorporate health equity.

The symposium and special issue aim to bring together examples of research projects developing or using innovative data resources, examinations of opportunities to develop new data capacities, as well as limitations of currently available data, and considerations of the implications of these issues for PCOR related to health equity.

Please see the Call for Abstracts (PDF) for additional information. Submission of abstracts is now closed. Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to develop full manuscripts for presentation at a one-day symposium that will be held in Washington D.C. in early December 2024. The manuscripts will also be considered for inclusion in a special journal supplement in Medical Care.

Timeline

  • April 25, 2024 - Call for abstracts
  • July 1, 2024 - Abstracts due
  • August 2024 - Authors invited to submit full manuscript
  • November 1, 2024 - Complete draft manuscript due
  • November 2024 - Symposium registration deadline
  • December 9, 2024 - Symposium (in-person in Washington, D.C.)
  • February 2025 - Paper submission to peer review
  • Fall 2025 - Publication of Special Issue

Call for Abstracts

Abstracts were invited on health equity research findings and/or the associated data infrastructure that advance the understanding of health equity in comparative effectiveness research and patient-centered outcomes research. Submissions were to be in three primary areas (though submissions on closely related topics were also welcome).

Topics

Review Process and Criteria

Abstracts were evaluated by members of a Technical Expert Panel convened to support the special issue and the symposium. Abstracts were rated on several criteria, including significance, feasibility, scientific merit, and consistency with the priorities of the special issue. Priority was given to abstracts that focused on data capacity issues within the context of an observational or interventional study.

Authors were encouraged to discuss how their work advanced health equity or the value of a particular data source, including discussion of how data and methodological improvements or research findings could be used to 1) reduce health disparities and inequities, 2) identify additional data infrastructure needs and gaps to advance health equity in PCOR and 3) translate those findings into decisions and policies to ensure health equity. In addition, priority populations across all topics identified above include individuals served in federal health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplaces, Veteran’s Health Administration, Health Resources & Services Administration, and the Indian Health Service.

Submitters were encouraged to include the perspectives and lived experience of patients, families, caregivers, and communities.

Submission Guidelines

The submission for abstracts is now closed. Questions may be emailed to PCORsupplement@rand.org.