Addressing health disparities across ethnicity is an essential step in supporting families—as is evidenced in many of the discussion of changes in health care eminent in the U.S. One important characteristic of family science is the balance of discovery based on basic research and the informing of this research by advances and outcomes of family practice and education. Presentations in this symposium illustrate how the balance of discovery research and practice play an essential role in dissemination and application of research to policy, and how this balance influences how questions are asked or what research is undertaken next.

Objectives

In attending this symposium, participants will be able to (1) Describe the information garnered from communities can inform next steps in research and impact the nature of policy. (2) Utilize elements of translational science to inform their practice and research. (3) Evaluate policy and research supporting policy to identify potential factors contributing to health disparities.