In a state like West Virginia, where most of the population is white, most of the health-related data that are collected and shared are focused on the majority population—on white people. Marginalized populations have historically been described as “statistically insignificant” and data affecting their specific healthcare needs are often not collected, shared, or used to improve the way we report information or improve systems to keep everyone healthy.
The way our state collects and reports health data—and the way they use that data—affects our health, for better or worse.
The “When All Are Counted” project is studying how this “majority rule” type of health data collection affects three specific populations: the Black, LGBTQ+, and disability populations, in West Virginia. The project is funded under Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Community Research for Health Equity program, managed by AcademyHealth, and directed by Think Kids. The West Virginia Prevention Research Center (WVPRC) oversees the qualitative research component of the project.
The goal is to create a more inclusive health surveillance system where everyone counts, and everyone is counted. That’s a heavy lift, and we’ll need your help.
Unique to the project is a creative communications component. Look for the tag line “writing for the When All Are Counted Project” on our blog and social media.
Together, we’ll build a health data surveillance system in West Virginia that serves all of us.
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