The collective experience and wisdom of all participants resulted in highly informative presentations and insightful discussions. Many actionable recommendations were made during speaker panel discussions and small group breakout sessions. The participants also pointed out that these recommendations are important at both local and national levels. Without change happening at the local level via grassroots populations, the national impact will be low. Implementing the recommendations locally has immediate impact on the AA and NHPI community.

This document summarizes the recommendations and action items proposed by the participants of the 2007 and 2008 Health Brain Trust on Data & Research convenings.

Data and research are important tools in helping assure access to quality primary and preventive services, especially for communities of color and indigenous peoples. A critical need exists for more data and research on the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. The heterogeneity in languages and cultures, differing cultural beliefs and approaches towards health all contribute to misperceptions about the community and its health and health care needs.