Integrative Curriculum Assessment for Inclusion, Representation, and Equity (I-CAIRE)

Despite data documenting consistent and ongoing health disparities, health care professionals have yet to make significant change. Health care education that thoughtfully prepares health care providers to address the social determinants of health and health inequities is a crucial step in improving health disparities. The development of an evidence-based tool by which to measure the integration of these concepts within health care education is imperative for achieving this goal.

We developed the Integrative Curriculum Assessment for Inclusion, Representation, and Equity (I-CAIRE) tool that assists in evaluating and then integrating health equity concepts into new or existing curricula. The four domains of I-CAIRE include health equity; curriculum content; diversity, inclusion, and representation; and accessibility. A group of eleven experts systematically analyzed the tool, providing feedback to ensure rigor regarding clarity, comprehensiveness, relevancy, validity, and useability.

The overall mean score across the primary principles and sections was high. After feedback from expert evaluators and with some revisions, all eleven evaluators stated that they were likely or very likely to recommend the tool.

By conducting a self-assessment of the integration of health equity and social determinants of health content, health care professional schools can identify strengths and areas for improvement. Further, the I-CAIRE tool offers resources that can direct schools to resources for bridging gaps identified in the assessment. I-CAIRE is intended to be a starting point for institutional reflection and discussions that lead to strategic plans to implement these concepts throughout the curricula.