🔍 Equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI) in health research: a Quebec report based on 12 interviews around 8 projects.
🧰 A toolkit complements the report (p. 17-18). Three appendices present the instruments of the approach: an interview guide, a descriptive table and an EDI analysis grid (p. 19-24).
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1️⃣ SUMMARY
The SSA Support Unit Quebec's mission is to support the deployment of a learning health system (LHS). The report presents health and social services equity as a pillar of the quintuple aim and a cross-cutting dimension of scientific programming (p. 2-4). The approach focuses on eight projects and includes twelve semi-structured interviews of about one hour, conducted on Zoom: eight interviews with promoters, project leads, and team members, between January 13 and February 3, 2026, followed by four others with members of management or individuals who contributed to the EDI subcommittee. The profile table lists thirty participating individuals, including five partner patients; some individuals were met multiple times. Additional information was also collected via email (p. 5-6). The thematic analysis leads to findings related to the integration of EDI (p. 7-9), supplemented by the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identified by the Scientific Planning Subcommittee (p. 10-12), correspondence with the 2026-2028 priorities (p. 14), an EDI action plan (p. 15-16), and a toolkit (p. 17-18).
2️⃣ WHAT TO REMEMBER
1️⃣ Quantitative finding. The report indicates that, according to data collected by the EDI sub-committee from project teams (“n = 14”), 80% have integrated EDI principles, 60% have mobilised an external resource and 100% wish for tailored recommendations and tools (p. 8). These figures are reproduced as they appear in the document. The exact date and modalities of this collection, its articulation with the eight projects studied, the numbers corresponding to the percentages and any rounding rules are not specified. Their interpretation must therefore remain cautious.
2️⃣ Central finding. For the authors, the issue “therefore does not lie so much in the absence of tools as in their coherent integration” into the Unit's processes (p. 8). The challenges cited are structural: resources, time, support, coordination, support for implementation (p. 2, 8).
3️⃣ Two recommendations. Support and consolidate the practices of integrating EDI principles within project teams; highlight and disseminate exemplary practices, particularly by strengthening EDI in the funding, monitoring and evaluation processes (p. 2). The action plan (p. 15-16) is presented without specifying its adoption status.
3️⃣ TO ACT
1️⃣ Existing tool explicitly cited: the analysis grid (Annex 3, p. 24). It classifies EDI criteria into four categories: Integration, Practice, Issues, Perspectives. The authors used it to analyse each project independently (p. 6). Suggestion Health Practices: use it as a review support for a prevention project.
2️⃣ Tool explicitly cited: the interview guide (Annex 1, p. 19). Four questions: team composition and roles of patient partner individuals, activities carried out for the deliverable, accessibility, message to management on equity. It has been adapted according to each project (p. 6).
3️⃣ Tools explicitly cited: the toolkit (p. 17-18). It notably lists a questionnaire on EDI from the Sectoral Committee on workforce in the social economy and community action, documents from ICES on anti-racist approaches and the toolkit "Equity, diversity, inclusion, sex and gender" from the SSA Unit Quebec. URLs cited by the document (p. 18), not verified on 28 October 2026.
4️⃣ 3 PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
1️⃣ What best practices for including patient partner (PPP) individuals does the report describe?
Co-construction and co-leadership at all stages, prevention of any instrumentalisation, concrete and active role, involvement from start to finish, consultation mechanisms, accessibility of publications and tools for PPP (Annex 2, p. 22).
2️⃣ What barriers to the accessibility of deliverables have the teams reported?
Financial issues, deadlines, graphic design, visually impaired individuals, digital literacy, updates, translation costs; deliverables predominantly in French (Annex 2, p. 21-22).
3️⃣ What do the teams expect from the Unit?
Being equipped for the accessibility of deliverables (graphic design, translation, distribution) and for EDI reflection from the submission of projects; having time and funding to test the developed tools (Annex 2, p. 23).
5️⃣ TO GO FURTHER
1️⃣ Blog Health Practices : page of the label "participation" in the Studies section, which notably lists the "Guide to patient partnership in research and clinical practice" from the SSA Unit Quebec : pratiquesensante.odoo.com/blog/etudes-5/tag/participation-27. Consulted on 28 October 2026.
File on participation : https://www.pratiquesensante.com/participation
and participation in care - https://www.pratiquesensante.com/7-3-particpation-aux-soins-et-formation
2️⃣ External source : High Health Authority, "Partnership in health and partner patients", guide and practical sheets (including a research sheet and a checklist), published online on 30 June 2026 : has-sante.fr/jcms/p_4085651. Consulted on 28 October 2026. Complementary French resource on partnership with patients; it does not specifically address EDI.
6️⃣ #️⃣ HASHTAGS
#healthpractices #HealthEquity #EDI #PartnerPatient #LearningHealthSystem #ExperientialKnowledge #CoConstruction #Quebec
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