Global Learning for Health Equity: A Literature Review

Abstract

Background:In high income countries struggling with escalating health care costs and persistent lack of equity, there is growing interest in searching for innovative solutions developed outside national borders, particularly in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Engaging with global ideas to apply them to local health equity challenges is becoming increasingly recognized as an approach to shift the health equity landscape in the United States (US) in a significant way. No single name or set of practices yet defines the process of identifying LMIC interventions for adaptation; implementing interventions in high-income countries (HIC) settings; or evaluating the implementation of such projects.Objectives: This paper presents a review of the literature describing the practice of adapting global ideas for use in the US, particularly in the area of health equity. Specifically, the authors sought to examine; (i) the literature that advocates for, or describes, adaption of health-related innovations from LMICs to HICs, both generally and for health equity specifically, and (ii) implementation practices, strategies, and evidence-based outcomes in this field, generally and in the area of health equity specifically. The authors also propose terminology and a definition to describe the practice. Methods:The literature search included two main concepts: global learning and health equity (using these and related terms). The search consisted of text-words and databasespecific terminology (e.g., MeSH, Emtree) using PubMed, Embase (Elsevier), CINAHL (Ebsco), and Scopus in March 2021. The authors also contacted relevant experts to identify grey literature. Identified sources were categorized according to theme to facilitate analysis. In addition, five key interviews with experts engaged with global ideas to promote health equity in the United States were conducted to develop additional data.

Beyond reverse innovation in healthcare: A step towards global health justice through reciprocity

“…All in all, the COMPASS project will provide much needed empirical evidence to improve our understanding of how to put reciprocal innovation in practice (Harris et al, 2020;Ogbolu et al, 2022). In addition, our research will add to the existing literature by offering more examples of the potential of reciprocal innovation.…”

“…In the face of rising health expenditures, health workforce shortages and pervasive internal health inequity challenges, high-income countries (HIC) are increasingly recognizing the potential of innovative low-cost solutions from resourceconstrained settings (Bhattacharyya et al,2017;Ogbolu et al, 2022;Skopec et al, 2019;Syed et al, 2012). Some of the most well-known and oftencited examples include: i) General Electric's MAC 400, a US$800 durable and portable ECG machine developed in India; ii) kangaroo Care, an effective practice first introduced in Colombia which involves maximal skin-to-skin contact between a preterm infant and their mother with proven positive impact on infant mortality; and finally iii) the use of mosquito net mesh rather than commercial mesh for hernia repair (Bhatti et al, 2017;Skopec et al, 2019).…”