Advancing Collaborative Research with 2-1-1 to Reduce Health Disparities

The 2-1-1 system is a Federal Communications Commission nationally designated 3-digit telephone information and referral (IR track utilization of health services; and provide evidence-based information, referral, and behavioral interventions to vulnerable segments of the population. The papers in this supplement to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine 1–17 bring together an emerging body of research conducted in the context of the 2-1-1 system and highlight the exciting opportunities for collaborations between researchers and these systems. This foundation is drawn on to outline a path for moving forward to systematically and strategically realize this potential. In particular, there is a need to (1) utilize theoretical and conceptual frameworks to better place 2-1-1 in the larger public health context and show linkages between/among other public health organizations. Next, tackling differences among data systems across 2-1-1 systems arguably