Rush University Medical Center is embarking on a transformative initiative aimed at addressing the prevalent health disparities affecting the Chicago community. With a significant boost from a $7.5 million grant provided by the Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust, the institution is set to enhance its data science infrastructure. This substantial funding will facilitate the development of a groundbreaking data platform designed to foster improved healthcare quality and equity across the city, effectively utilizing data to bolster health equity.

At the heart of this initiative lies the conviction that health is a universal right. Dr. John Rich, the Harrison I. Steans Director of the RUSH BMO Institute for Health Equity, articulates this belief emphatically: “We believe everyone should have the chance to be healthy.” However, he acknowledges the harsh reality evidenced in medical literature — that marginalized groups often experience barriers in accessing adequate healthcare services, underscoring the importance of utilizing data to bolster health equity. The primary objective of this new platform is to analyze the underlying factors contributing to these disparities, thereby empowering healthcare providers and researchers to enact meaningful change.

Utilizing a Data Warehouse to Improve Health Equity

The envisioned data warehouse will be a comprehensive repository, aggregating a wide range of health informatics, real-time data sourced from home health devices, and personal testimonies from patients themselves. This multifaceted approach of utilizing data to bolster health equity is designed to shed light on the “hot zones” in Chicago where chronic diseases predominantly manifest. By tapping into diverse data sources, researchers will have the ability to pinpoint these critical areas and implement targeted interventions to promote health equity.

Furthermore, the establishment of this data commons enables researchers to create a secure environment to experiment with innovative technologies — particularly artificial intelligence. The insights gained from utilizing data to bolster health equity will be crucial in crafting algorithms that accurately reflect the real-world scenarios in which healthcare issues arise. Jeff Gautney, the senior vice president and chief information officer at Rush, emphasizes the potential of this data-driven methodology, describing the ability to mobilize clinical data as the “key ‘superpower’” essential for unlocking the vast potential of AI in healthcare.

Read the full article about utilizing data to improve health equity at Bioengineer.org.