Evaluation research capacity and priorities at community health centers serving Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

Participatory approaches to community health assessments and interventions through community health centers are central to reducing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPIs) health disparities. Yet relatively few systematic studies have been conducted at health centers serving medically underserved AAPI populations. To better understand the research barriers at health centers serving AAPIs, we developed a survey and assessed the evaluation research capacity, priorities, and gaps that help guide and strengthen evaluation research efforts and capacity for ten health centers that primarily serve AAPIs. Preliminary results from these ten health centers indicated that key barriers to sustaining research included funding and staff availability and experience conducting research. The major technical assistance needs for increasing health center staff's research capacity included research methodology and data analysis. Finally, the top priority research areas included chronic disease, outcomes of care, quality of care, mental health & substance abuse, and access to care. Prioritizing AAPI research for health centers is becoming an integral part of the health center mission due to its capacity to demonstrate and improve quality of care by providers and outcomes of care for patients. However, most health centers serving AAPIs across the nation currently lack the internal human resources with research expertise and funding to adequately develop, implement, and sustain research projects. Technical assistance and collaboration with external research institutions on developing research proposals and planning and implementing research projects will be important first steps for building internal research capacity and fostering relationships with potential funders to support future health center research.