Health Brain Trust 2007 to 2009: Data and Research Priorities among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders

Data and research are important tools in helping ensure access to quality primary and preventive services, especially for communities of color and indigenous people. There is a lack of and critical need for more data and research on the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPI). The Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) convened three Health Brain Trust conferences from 2007 to 2009 that brought together researchers, funders, policymakers and community leaders nationally to assess and develop long-term strategies for improving health and well-being of AA and NHPIs, strengthening the involvement of AA and NHPIs in community-based participatory research (CBPR), and more data collection and reporting on NHPI health to eliminate health disparities. The collective experience and wisdom of the participants resulted in highly informative presentations, insightful discussions, and actionable recommendations. The key recommendations include: conduct further analysis and dissemination of existing sources of data; conduct more research nationally and locally and address sampling and design issues; build and strengthen community capacity to conduct CBPR, build and strengthen the pipeline for research, strategic advocacy and communication activities, policy assessment and analysis, and cultural and language access to care. We will present on the actions taken based on these recommendations and their national impact on reducing these data and research disparities. APIAHF is committed to pursuing strategies and taking action on the recommendations in partnership with convening participants as well as other community leaders and institutions interested in similar issues across the United States.