Disparity drivers, potential solutions, and the role of a health equity dashboard in the neonatal intensive care unit: a qualitative study

Racial/ethnic disparities are well-described in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We explored expert opinion on their etiology, potential solutions, and the ability of health equity dashboards to meaningfully capture NICU disparities.

We conducted 12 qualitative semi-structured interviews, purposively selecting a diverse group of neonatal experts. We used grounded theory to develop codes, shape interviews, and conduct analysis.

We identified three sources of disparity: interpersonal bias, care process and institutional barriers, and social determinants of health, particularly as they affect parental engagement in the NICU. Proposed solutions included racial/cultural concordance, bolstering hospital-based resources, and policy interventions. Health equity dashboards were viewed as useful but limited, because clinical metrics do not account for many of the aforementioned sources of disparities.

Equity dashboards serve as a motivational starting point for quality improvement; future iterations may require novel, qualitative data sources to identify underlying etiologies of NICU disparities.