• Kassandra I Alcaraz, Jamilia Sly, Kimlin Ashing, Linda Fleisher, Virginia Gil-Rivas, Sabrina Ford, Jean C Yi, Qian Lu, Cathy D Meade, Usha Menon, and Clement K Gwede.
• Behavioral Research Center, American Cancer Society, 250 Williams Street NW, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA. kassandra.alcaraz@cancer.org.
• J Behav Med. 2017 Feb 1; 40 (1): 23-38.

AbstractHealth disparities persist despite ongoing efforts. Given the United States' rapidly changing demography and socio-cultural diversity, a paradigm shift in behavioral medicine is needed to advance research and interventions focused on health equity. This paper introduces the ConNECT Framework as a model to link the sciences of behavioral medicine and health equity with the goal of achieving equitable health and outcomes in the twenty-first century. We first evaluate the state of health equity efforts in behavioral medicine science and identify key opportunities to advance the field. We then discuss and present actionable recommendations related to ConNECT's five broad and synergistic principles: (1) Integrating Context; (2) Fostering a Norm of Inclusion; (3) Ensuring Equitable Diffusion of Innovations; (4) Harnessing Communication Technology; and (5) Prioritizing Specialized Training. The framework holds significant promise for furthering health equity and ushering in a new and refreshing era of behavioral medicine science and practice.

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