Actionable partnerships for shaping healthcare's future by closing the equitable access gap and delivering meaningful...

Putting health equity into practice requires deliberate, longitudinal work by numerous stakeholders and a multi-sectoral strategy that simultaneously engages academic, governmental, and corporate entities. Corporate social responsibility in healthcare research and product development is a critical step to ensure that everyone benefits from diagnostics and treatments, and that all patients' needs are met. Herein we describe activities ongoing at a global healthcare technology company in order to help close the treatment gap and improve equitable access to care. Published literature was used to inform a framework for organizing the activities into four initiatives: (1) raising awareness of the implications of the status quo; (2) implementing equitable patient-centered innovation; (3) building a more diverse workforce; and (4) generating the evidence base for equitable care. The four ongoing initiatives illustrate specific efforts that healthcare professionals and corporations can make to help close the health equity gap and shape the future of healthcare.