Designing Equitable Measurement Frameworks That Are Community Centered: Why, What, and How?

Health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) is an important tool for policymakers and healthcare providers regarding resource allocation, reimbursement, and clinical guidelines. However, engaging underrepresented populations is essential in addressing structural and systemic barriers in healthcare access, treatment outcomes, and patient burden. By including underserved communities and their diverse patient perspectives equity in healthcare can truly be achieved rather than perpetuating systemic biases. Despite the desire for equity in healthcare, challenges such as allocating resources for patient/community engagement and lack of standardized methods for sustainable engagement persist. Addressing these challenges raises critical questions: How can authentic patient and community engagement be fostered when researchers lack prior experience working with diverse populations? What soft skills are essential for building trust and meaningful partnerships? Our advocacy organization addresses these gaps by educating and training patients, caregivers, community health workers, and clinical researchers on cancer care delivery and the science behind cancer treatment. Through this work, we aim to equip stakeholders with the tools needed to advance equity and trust in healthcare research and delivery. Researchers will little to no experience working collaboratively with patients will benefit greatly from attending this session. Our panel will discuss important steps used in our work with cancer patients and researchers, focusing on actionable strategies for long term engagement in underserved communities: 1. Establishing in creating a Shared Agenda: 2. Adopting Collaborative Patient to Community Communication: 3. Agreeing to Partner on Sustainable Engagement