“According to the Equity Action Lab Implementation Guide, an Equity Action Lab is ‘a flexible and adaptable model that uses a set of activities to bring together a diverse group of community stakeholders to take action in pursuit of equity and community improvement.’ The model helps stakeholders act on a complex (adaptive) health topic that does not yet have a known fix or remedy. It requires multiple groups or sectors to work together to test and learn their way into solutions.
IHI based the model on an approach employed by IHI’s Strategic Partner, Community Solutions, that used design thinking and ‘switch thinking’ to quickly get to action and results. As part of our efforts as 100 Million Healthier Lives convener, IHI incorporated improvement science, the psychology of change, systems thinking, co-designing with people with lived experience, and effective approaches for tackling adaptive challenges to create the Equity Action Lab. Most importantly, we tested and refined methods for co-designing solutions with context experts.”
Testing New Ways to Put Equity Into Action via Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
UBC Family Practice Residency Program: Abbotsford-Mission Site 