FINAL PROJECT [GIS5100]: Expanding Community Engagement and Diversity in Clinical Trials in Birmingham, Alabama
Expanding Community Engagement and Diversity in Clinical Trials in Birmingham, Alabama The success of clinical trials can be improved when a diverse population representative of the population at risk for the disease being studied is engaged in the ongoing research related to that disease (Clark et al., 2019). Barriers to enrollment include distrust of being a research subject and logistical challenges, including travel time (Nissen, 2019). The urgency of addressing outcome disparity associated with new medical advances is particularly concerning in fields such as immunotherapy where knowledge of predictive biomarkers can guide optimal treatments (Nazha, 2019). Including ethnic and cultural diversity in clinical trial research can also help to address costs associated with inequitable care and better inform service planning for impacted communities (Low et al., 2019). The purpose of this final project was to examine current community engagement trends in clinical trial ...