Community Health Improvement
Overview
Co-chairs:
The Community Health Improvement Core provides leadership and guidance that will help the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory, its trials and investigators, and ultimately the research community at-large, conduct research that can improve the health of all populations. Their work includes supporting PCTs to address gaps in access to quality care, implementing patient and community engagement strategies, and developing person- and community-centered research and translation methods that are contextually aligned.
Core goals:
- Support and document ways to help pragmatic trials be widely conducted across the United States in a variety of health systems and communities, including in rural areas.
- Examine strategies to effectively and efficiently implement evidence-based interventions and guidelines across “real world” settings to improve the health of all populations.
- Explore methods to make sure pragmatic research, including outcomes selected, is relevant to the people affected by the disease or condition being studied.
Interview
During the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory 2024 Steering Committee meeting, Drs. Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda and Cherise Harrington discussed the importance of expanding the pragmatic clinical trials ecosystem to better serve minoritized communities.
Areas of Focus
- Address gaps in healthcare access and quality through research design.
- Offer guidance on how to ensure research questions are relevant to the people being served.
- Generate new knowledge on PCTs that contribute to healthier communities.
- Develop strategies to engage groups affected by trials conducted in healthcare systems.
- Help researchers learn how to partner with communities and a wide variety of clinical sites.
- Widely share new knowledge and resources for research that can have a positive impact on communities.
News and Interviews
- News_A Year of Trial Results and Innovations From the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory
December 15, 2025: A Year of Trial Results and Innovations From the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory
- News_New Resource Promotes Community Health Improvement in Pragmatic Trials
December 11, 2025: New Resource Promotes Community Health Improvement in Pragmatic Trials
- News_Researchers Share Tips for Building Relationships With Communities in Pragmatic Research
July 14, 2025: Researchers Share Tips for Building Relationships With Communities in Pragmatic Research
- News_A Year of Innovations and Insights From the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory
December 12, 2024: A Year of Innovations and Insights From the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory
- News_Hybrid Methods Improve Collection of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Rural and Underserved Populations
November 26, 2024: Hybrid Methods Improve Collection of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Rural and Underserved Populations
- News_Health Equity Core Leaders Reflect on Supporting NIH Collaboratory Trials
June 20, 2024: Health Equity Core Leaders Reflect on Supporting NIH Collaboratory Trials
- News_A Year of New Insights From the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory
December 12, 2023: A Year of New Insights From the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory
- News_Program Leaders Reflect on Cross-Core Collaboration and Opportunities for the Future
Written Interview: Program Leaders Reflect on Cross-Core Collaboration and Opportunities for the Future
- News_NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory Welcomes First Class of Fellows
July 17, 2023: NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory Welcomes First Class of Fellows
- News_NIMHD Director Discusses Ways Researchers Can Help Reduce Health Disparities
Written Interview: NIMHD Director Discusses Ways Researchers Can Help Reduce Health Disparities
Products and Publications
- PTcollab_Community_Health_Improvement_PCTs_FINAL
Community Health Improvement in Pragmatic Clinical Trials
- Cheville et al Appl Clin Inform 2024
Collection of patient-reported outcome measures in rural and underserved populations
- Boyd et al J Am Med Inform Assoc 2023
Potential bias and lack of generalizability in electronic health record data: reflections on health equity from the National Institutes of Health Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory
Presentations
- Community Health Improvement Slides OCT2025
Onboarding Meeting Oct. 29, 2025 - Community Health Improvement Core Intro
- Community Health Improvement Slides 28OCT2025
Onboarding Meeting Oct. 28, 2025 - Community Health Improvement Core Intro
- 00_Rosa_combined_FINAL
How Do We Support Broad Implementation of ePCT Findings?
- 00_Harrington_combined_FINAL
Building Relationships With Communities in Pragmatic Research
- Health Equity Core Slides JAN2025
Onboarding Meeting Jan 2025 - Health Equity Core Intro
- Health Equity Core Slides NOV2024
Onboarding Meeting Nov 2024 - Health Equity Core Intro
- HE_Core Onboarding Slides_18OCT2024_Final
Onboarding Meeting October 2024 - Health Equity Core Intro
- 2023 NIH Workshop_Panel 2_Gonzalez-Guarda
2023 NIH Workshop Panel 2: Gonzalez-Guarda
- SC-Mtg-2023-Day1-Harrington
Cherise Harrington Presentation 2023 Steering Committee Meeting
- SC-Mtg-2023-Day1-Gonzalez-Guarda
Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda Presentation 2023 Steering Committee Meeting

