Health Disparities Research and Community Engagement Core Overview

The ASCENT Engagement Core ensures that lived experience voices and perspectives are integrated into all ASCENT Consortium research and programs. The Engagement Core addresses gaps in access, quality, and outcomes of palliative care by embedding health disparities and community-engaged research expertise across all cores and initiatives.

The Engagement Core’s work includes fostering training for scientists, developing resources for rigorous health disparities and community-engaged research methods, and establishing a Lived Experience Action Panel to guide research priorities and implementation.

Core Goals

• Integrate health disparities and community-engaged research expertise across ASCENT.
  Embed Engagement Core members as liaisons to other Cores to ensure engagement principles inform all activities.
• Train and mentor palliative care scientists in health disparities and community-engaged research methods.
  Provide consultation, mentorship, and community-building to support the conduct of rigorous health disparities research and the application of engagement strategies throughout the research process.
• Create and disseminate health disparities and community-engaged research resources.
  Conduct systematic reviews, participate in developmental projects, and share best practices for addressing disparities in palliative care access and delivery. This includes incorporating the perspectives of persons with serious illness and their caregivers to strengthen research relevance and impact.
• Establish and engage a Lived Experience Action Panel.
  Incorporate perspectives of persons with serious illness, caregivers, clinicians, and community representatives into ASCENT’s research and programmatic activities.