Training: Health Equity & Targeted Universalism

Hospital and health care staff are invited to join WSHA for a free 4-hout virtual training on Health Equity & Targeted Universalism: Using Data and Co-Creation to Develop Targeted Strategies that Achieve a Universal Goal, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on July 12, 2022. The training will be hosted by SEED Collaborative, an equity and sustainability consultation firm.

Targeted Universalism (TU) is a framework for understanding health disparities data. Too often we stratify clinical metrics by race/payer/diagnosis but then need to ask more questions about why we see differences by group. TU is like performing a root cause analysis on health disparities data by partnering with patients and exploring the drivers of the data and co-creating solutions together. The aim is to set and achieve one universal goal for all patients using a targeted approach to address the unique needs of each group.

Attendees will learn more about the TU framework and how it can be applied to bring about just and equitable outcomes for all while creating belonging. This training will focus on the following topics:

1. The two major components of the framework – universal goals and targeted strategies – how they work together, and how they are applied.
2. Exploration of universal goals, why alone they do not work, but how they do work when paired with targeted strategies, and how to set them in the context of TU.
3. Consideration of targeted strategies, the ways these different approaches help all reach the universal goal through different paths, why targeted strategies alone are sometimes ineffective, and how they become effective in the context of TU, and ways to develop them using data in the context of TU.
4. The role of co-creation in generating and applying a wide variety of data that can clarify root causes and support the development of strategies and implementation tactics

Training participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, engage in discussion, and consider applications of the steps of TU. Breakout groups will work through examples and exercises specific to the healthcare setting.

Hospital teams working on translating health equity measures into actionable quality improvement projects are encouraged to attend! The main sessions of the training will be recorded and shared with registrants. For more information, please contact Abby Berube at abigailb@wsha.org.