Establishing a Pediatric Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Research Review Process.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) research is increasing, and there is a need for a more standardized approach for methodological and ethical review of this research. A supplemental review process for EDI-related human subject research protocols was developed and implemented at a pediatric academic medical center (AMC). The goal was to ensure that current EDI research principles are consistently used and that the research aligns with the AMC's declaration on EDI. The EDI Research Review Committee, established in January 2022, reviewed EDI protocols and provided recommendations and requirements for addressing EDI-related components of research studies. To evaluate this review process, the number and type of research protocols were reviewed, and the types of recommendations given to research teams were examined. In total, 78 research protocols were referred for EDI review during the 20-month implementation period from departments and divisions across the AMC. Of these, 67 were given requirements or recommendations to improve the EDI-related aspects of the project, and 11 had already considered a health equity framework and implemented EDI principles. Requirements or recommendations made applied to 1 or more stages of the research process, including design, execution, analysis, and dissemination. An EDI review of human subject research protocols can provide an opportunity to constructively examine and provide feedback on EDI research to ensure that a standardized approach is used based on current literature and practice.

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Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES: Dr Katz-Wise is a diversity consultant for Paramount Global; Valerie L. Ward, MD, MPH is the coleader of the Health Equity Core and Health Equity Advisor for the Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Research Network, which is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services under UA6MC31101 Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Research Network and this information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services, and the US Government; Dr Ward is also a member of the National Project Advisory Committee for a project being conducted by the Institute for Patient-and Family-Centered Care and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center funded by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health; Dr Young Poussaint receives National Institutes of Health funding for PBTC Neuroimaging Center and National Institutes of Health funding for the Neurologic sequelae of MIS-C study; Dr Boskey is supported by the National Institutes of Health under 1U01OD033248-01 and she is on the advisory board of the ASPIRE Center of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts; and the other authors have indicated they have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article to disclose.