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The journey to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)

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Oct 17, 2024 version files 70.66 KB

Abstract

The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) was established to address systemic racism and health disparities within biomedical and health informatics, aligning with AMIA’s mission to transform healthcare through trusted science, education, and informatics practice. AMIA member voices, responding to police brutality and COVID-19's impact on Black and/or African American communities, spurred the creation of AMIA’s DEI initiatives. The Task Force proposed actionable recommendations to the AMIA Board of Directors across five domains: translational bioinformatics, clinical research, consumer, clinical, and public health informatics. In the first 9 months, the Task Force (1) created a logic model to support workforce diversity and raise AMIA's DEI awareness, (2) conducted an environmental scan of other associations’ DEI activities, (3) developed a DEI framework for AMIA meetings, (4) gathered member feedback, (5) cultivated DEI educational resources, (6) created an informational session on Board nominations and diversity, (7) reviewed the Board’s Strategic Planning documentation to align DEI efforts, (8) led a program to increase attendee diversity at the 2020 AMIA Virtual Annual Symposium, and (9) standardized data collection of socially-assigned race and ethnicity data. The Task Force’s collaborative and comprehensive approach helped AMIA understand its member diversity within the context of systemic racism and health equity. This work supported marginalized groups, broadened the research agenda, and positioned AMIA as a DEI leader in informatics. Transforming informatics and AMIA to represent the diversity of those AMIA serves is a journey; AMIA’s journey is still unfolding.