Final answer:
The strategy of equity-focused quality improvement is to reduce disparities, thereby addressing health inequities. Strategies include improving health education and literacy, using mixed-method approaches, and community-based participatory research to involve communities in creating solutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hospital employing equity-focused quality improvement is most likely using the strategy to reduce disparities in healthcare. As such, the correct answer is (d) Reduce disparities. To promote health equity, it's important to address health inequities, which are systematic differences in the health status of different population groups. These disparities have complex root causes, including socioeconomic factors, environmental threats, inadequate access to health care, and a lack of culturally responsive health care practices.
Research emphasizes the need for approaches like community-based participatory action research (CPAR), which involves stakeholders directly in the research process to ensure that outcomes are relevant to the community's needs. Incorporating mixed-method approaches helps in understanding cultural contexts and collecting data across the life-course. It is also crucial to improve health education and literacy to empower individuals and families to make informed decisions leading to better health outcomes.
To co-create equitable health with those impacted, it is essential to implement tailored interventions and policies that reflect the needs of the communities, involve them in decision-making processes, and ensure that they have the necessary tools and opportunities to achieve optimal health.