The Science Behind
Health Equity Measurement.
HERI measures five critical dimensions of equitable healthcare delivery to identify risk, guide interventions, and improve outcomes.
A structured method for the work that matters most.
The Health Equity Risk Index (HERI) Framework provides a structured methodology for measuring organizational performance across the factors that most directly influence health equity, patient experience, and population outcomes.
Five pillars.
One comprehensive view.
Trust
Measures patient confidence in healthcare providers, treatment plans, and healthcare organizations.
- Provider trust
- Respect and dignity
- Confidence in treatment
- Cultural responsiveness
- Patient engagement
Patients who trust their providers are more likely to follow treatment plans, attend follow-up appointments, and achieve positive outcomes.
Communication
Measures how effectively healthcare information is delivered and understood.
- Discharge instruction comprehension
- Provider communication quality
- Language accessibility
- Health literacy support
- Responsiveness
Poor communication contributes to preventable complications, confusion, and avoidable readmissions.
Access
Measures barriers that affect a patient's ability to obtain healthcare services.
- Transportation
- Technology access
- Financial barriers
- Appointment availability
- Medication access
Access challenges often drive disparities in healthcare utilization and outcomes.
Care Coordination
Measures the effectiveness of care transitions and continuity across providers.
- Follow-up completion
- Referral completion
- Care transitions
- Medication management
- Team communication
Strong care coordination reduces fragmentation and improves patient outcomes.
Outcomes
Measures the impact of care delivery on patient recovery and health status.
- Recovery progress
- Self-reported health status
- Emergency department utilization
- Readmission risk
- Quality of life
Outcomes provide the ultimate measure of healthcare effectiveness and equity.
Together, these five pillars create a comprehensive view of organizational health equity performance and support targeted improvement strategies.
Understanding Your HERI Score.
The HERI Score provides a standardized measurement of health equity performance and organizational risk — a single, defensible number that leadership can act on.
Organizations demonstrate strong equity outcomes and minimal risk indicators.
Organizations perform well but may have opportunities for targeted improvement.
Potential disparities or operational challenges require attention.
Significant concerns exist that may negatively impact outcomes.
Immediate intervention and strategic improvement are recommended.
Scores are generated using the HERI Framework across Trust, Communication, Access, Care Coordination, and Outcomes.
The Future of
Health Equity Benchmarking.
HERI is building a national benchmark database that will allow healthcare organizations to compare performance against peers, regions, and national standards.
- Trust Performance
- Communication Performance
- Access Performance
- Care Coordination Performance
- Outcome Performance
- Health Equity Maturity
- Compare against peer organizations
- Identify emerging disparities
- Measure improvement over time
- Support strategic planning
- Demonstrate accountability
The HERI National Benchmark Program is designed to become the industry standard for measuring and improving health equity outcomes.
See HERI applied to your organization.
A 30-minute working session walks through the five pillars on your data and your equity priorities.