Call for Papers: Addressing Structural Racism in Health Care Special Theme Issue

NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery invites manuscripts to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming theme issue on addressing structural racism in health care.

Structural racism, “the normalized and legitimized range of policies, practices, and attitudes that routinely produce cumulative and chronic adverse outcomes for people of color” (Rose 2024) operates throughout health care — yet is often hard to see and work on. Over the past 5 years, many leaders and changemakers in health care and public health have become aware of the extent to which their own diagnostics, policies, algorithms, and practices are leading to unequal outcomes and have begun taking bold steps forward in addressing these issues.

This special issue call for papers seeks out innovations in health care operations and clinical delivery that: (1) make policies and practices that are leading to racist outcomes visible and accountable; and (2) correct inequities in operational and clinical diagnostics, processes, and algorithms. This could include accounts of operational practices (e.g., medical debt collection, purchasing practices) and clinical practices (e.g., removal of race-based diagnostics in kidney transplantation).

In keeping with our emphasis on practical innovations in care delivery, we seek papers that demonstrate impact for patients, populations, and communities experiencing health inequities and show ways to measure a shift in health care operations and practice.

Issue Date: July 2025

Submissions Deadline: March 3, 2025

Components:

• In Depth articles, case studies, and expert articles — see our Author Center for guidelines
• A report drawing on a survey from the NEJM Catalyst Insights Council

Sample Content:

• Case Study: Targeting Racial Inequities in Inpatient Pulmonary Specialty Care Access
• In Depth article: The Racial Health Equity Progress Report: A Data-Driven Equity Action Tool
• Commentary: Racism, Equity, and Inclusion: Can Clinical Simulation Train Health Care Workers to Build an Anti-Racism Culture?
• Case Study: Attracting, Admitting, Supporting, and Graduating a Diverse Nursing Student Body
• Article: New York City’s Public Health Approach to Reexamining Race-Based Clinical Algorithms
• In Depth article: The African American Transplant Access Program: Mitigating Disparities in Solid Organ Transplantation