At first glance, data looks objective—numbers, percentages, trends. But behind every data point is a real person, living in a real community, navigating real barriers. And unless we listen to those lived experiences, we risk making decisions based on half the story instead of on the full picture.
At Acclinate, we know numbers alone don’t tell the whole truth. That’s why we go beyond the algorithm—using community-level data with traditional health metrics to uncover hidden patterns driving disparities in care.
As a healthcare data professional, I’ve seen firsthand how this approach not only enhances our insights but reshapes how we define equity in the first place.
What Makes Community Health Data Different?
Most healthcare data comes from the same places: electronic health records (EHRs), billing systems, and lab results. This information is essential, but it’s far from perfect. For example, one large EHR-based diabetes study revealed 76% of individuals had at least one missing value in their records.
Most importantly, this type of data is fundamentally incomplete: it tells you what happened—but not always why.
Community data can fill that gap. It captures how people feel about their healthcare experiences, how much they trust (or distrust) their providers, whether they have access to transportation, or if they feel safe in a clinical setting—before, during, and after an episode of care. It’s that nuanced, often overlooked perspective that turns facts into understanding.
For example, knowing that someone has diabetes is important. But knowing that they skipped a follow-up appointment because they didn’t trust their last provider—or because they couldn’t find one who looked like them—tells a much deeper story. That’s the kind of insight community data can reveal.
Health Equity Data Grounded in People, Not Just Points
It’s easy to assume people don’t want to participate in research or trials. But assumptions are often obstacles to equity.
In fact, one of our most surprising data points showed that 80% of our community members said they were willing or somewhat willing to join a clinical trial if approached. That statistic flies in the face of conventional industry beliefs—and it came directly from listening to people, not guessing on their behalf.
The same applies to disease awareness. We’ve seen trends, for instance, where engagement with certain educational content—like vaccine readiness or specific disease management—spiked in specific cities or age groups. Those patterns weren’t random. They revealed where information was landing, where gaps still existed, and how we could adjust our outreach in real time to better meet community needs.
Designing for Healthcare Inclusion, Not Assumption
Of course, gathering community data has its challenges. Some people are understandably hesitant to disclose personal information—especially in the current political climate. Whether it’s about race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation, disclosure often depends on trust.
That’s why we take data privacy and ethical integrity seriously. All of our community-level insights are de-identified, aggregated, and protected. No individual’s identity is ever shared outside our system. Our role isn’t to extract—it’s to illuminate.
And even the way we frame questions matters. Cultural competency plays a critical role in both how people respond and how data is interpreted. I’ve seen it firsthand. In a doctor’s office, my father once answered “no” to a series of questions about dizziness and fatigue—despite regularly expressing those exact symptoms at home. The problem wasn’t his honesty. It was the way the questions were asked, and the disconnect between clinical language and lived experience.
If health systems want accurate, actionable data, they have to meet people where they are—not just physically, but culturally and emotionally. They have to use Affective Trust to engage communities for the long term.
The Role of Community Data in Shaping an Equitable Future
Community-level data isn’t just a supplement to EHRs and claims data—it’s a foundational piece of the health equity puzzle. As artificial intelligence and machine learning continue to reshape healthcare, we need to ensure that the datasets driving those tools reflect the full range of human experiences.
“At Acclinate, we’ve proven data equity leads to health equity. If we’re serious about developing medical products and interventions that work for everyone, then community insights need to be baked into the design process—not tacked on at the end.”
— Manar Moore
Imagine a future where your data doesn’t just inform your treatment—it reflects your voice, your values, your reality. That’s what we’re working toward.
3 Ways Healthcare Leaders Can Collect More Equitable Data
If you’re a healthcare organization looking to improve how you collect and apply community-level insights, here are three steps to consider:
- Prioritize cultural competency: Language, tone, and phrasing matter. Don’t just ask “Are you fatigued?”—explain what you mean and understand how different communities describe their experiences. The more context you gather, the more clarity you’ll get.
- Challenge & mitigate assumptions: Let the data speak for itself. Don’t assume certain groups are unwilling to engage or uninterested in trials. Ask, listen, and be open to being surprised.
- Track everything—even the outliers: Don’t disregard data points just because they seem irregular. Outliers often hold the key to new patterns and underserved needs. Today’s exception could be tomorrow’s breakthrough.
Listening Is the First Step Toward Equity & Better Data
Data has the power to shape policy, redesign systems, and save lives—but only if we’re capturing the right data, from the right people, in the right way.
At Acclinate, we’re proving that trust, context, and community aren’t soft science—they’re smart science. By going beyond the algorithm, we're going beyond analysis to co-create solutions that reflect the full humanity of the people we serve.
Equity doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by design. And community needs to be at the center of that design.
Interested to see how Acclinate works with communities to advance health equity? Contact us for a consultation.
