Can a Focus on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Transform Health Services Research?

Abstract

The new Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Health Services and Policy Research's Strategic Plan 2021-2026 (CIHR IHSPR 2021) holds potential. Barriers are anticipated, including that commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are tokenistic. This commentary provides four recommendations to support EDI as transformative. First, EDI must start with an honest history of the role of institutions in upholding injustice. Second, performative EDI must be replaced by changes in money, power and resources. Third, data collection alone must never be the end goal of EDI. And fourth, for EDI to be transformative, it must be grounded in praxis, taking direction from communities and movements seeking justice.