Did you know that one of the greatest challenges in clinical trials is the lack of participants from diverse backgrounds?
Clinical trials are very important in making new advancements in healthcare and science as a whole. At Theclinresearcher our team is passionate about promoting diversity, educating, and supporting clinical trial participants.
Today we will cover what clinical trials are, what we mean by diversity and why it is a hot topic in clinical trials. In addition, how we can all make a difference in improving medical treatments and medications by promoting diversity in clinical trials.
Clinical Trials 101
If you are subscribed to our newsletter or have already explored our website and resources, you may be well versed in clinical trials. However, if you are new to the world of clinical research here is a quick dive into what clinical trials are.
Clinical trials are used as a way to bring new medications and treatments to patients who need them. Every medication that is prescribed today or bought over the counter had to go through clinical trials.
The main purpose of clinical trials is to make sure that the medication is safe and effective. Clinical trials are not only for medications but can also be used to trial medical devices, diagnostic tools, and non-medication treatments.
Clinical trials go on for years through multiple phases and require lots of participants. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires lots of data to prove that it is safe and effective for the majority of the population.
This is where diversity plays a large role! Without diverse participants, how do we ensure that medications and treatments work for everyone?
Diversity: More Than a Buzzword
What exactly do we mean by diversity?
Diversity in clinical research refers to including participants of every race, gender and age as needed for the specific clinical research trial. Science has proven that there are differences in the way that medication and treatments affect people of different races, gender and of course ages.
Real-World Benefits
Imagine if the medication you are prescribed today was never tested in a person similar to yourself? Would you trust that it would help you in the same way?
Clinical trials try their hardest to recruit patients of diverse populations for this very reason. However, this can lead to delays in the clinical trial process and this leads to delays in having the medication available to patients who need them.
The more diverse the participant population in clinical trials, the better this translates to real world results. You may be able to spot the differences between how a medication might affect males and females differently, but did you know that race plays a factor into how the medication is broken down in the body?
In order to make sure the medications and treatments work well for everyone we have to recruit participants of diverse backgrounds into clinical trials.
The Ethical Angle
Besides the aspect of medications working differently for every individual race, gender and age, it is also wrong to leave people out of clinical trials.
By not including patients or participants of diverse backgrounds, the scientific data collected is not as inclusive as it could be. This leads to delays in our understanding of medical science.
Even though clinical trials attempt to include diverse participants there are different reasons for the difficulty in enrolling diverse groups. Some of the biggest reasons for the lack of inclusion in clinical trials include lack of awareness and education about clinical research. Which is exactly why we developed Theclinresearcher!
Tackling Health Disparities
Together we can tackle health disparities by understanding the reasons for the lack of inclusion in clinical trials. This will lead to reducing gaps in healthcare and promoting diversity in not just clinical trials but medical science and research as a whole. Let’s look into how we can overcome barriers and make a change.
Overcoming Barriers
The most important part in making a change is to understand why certain people don’t participate.
Language barriers
One of the reasons might be language barriers. It can be difficult for clinical research sites to be staffed with research doctors and staff who can speak multiple languages. This leads to participants being turned away from clinical trials at certain locations.
Cost
Even though clinical trials are usually free to participate in and provide a stipend, there can be costs associated with transportation to the site, meals during travel etc. Most clinical trials understand this and have an additional stipend for participants who have to travel into the clinical trial site or due to the duration of the visit may need to spend money on meals.
Another cost to consider is that by participating in a clinical trial you may have lost wages. You will have to take time off from work to attend clinical trial visits.
Location
Clinical trials might be restricted geographically to the clinical sites that are selected to participate. It becomes difficult to recruit a diverse population when only a certain location has access to the clinical trial. Participants may have to travel long distances to attend every clinic visit.
Trust
It takes awareness, time and education for clinical trials to gain the trust of diverse populations. Clinical trials may seem daunting to people who are not aware of their importance or purpose. By educating potential participants regardless of their background, clinical trials can gain the trust of diverse groups.
Making a Change
What can we do to make a change?
One of the most important ways to engage diverse communities is to reach out and increase awareness. Not everyone is familiar with clinical research, especially if the awareness efforts are not made in their language.
By reaching out to communities, building trust and explaining the importance of diversity in clinical trials we can make a positive impact in healthcare.
At Theclinresearcher we are continuously creating resources to help raise awareness, as well as educate potential participants from diverse backgrounds.
We are hopeful that by increasing accessibility to information on clinical trials, we can make a difference and create a more inclusive future for clinical research!
Wrap-Up
To wrap-up, diversity in clinical trials is a hot topic right now due to its importance in ensuring better and more inclusive treatments.
We hope you have been able to learn more about the importance of diversity, the reasons as to why it is difficult to reach diverse groups and what we can all do to make a positive impact.
If you would like to learn more about participating in clinical trials, please consider subscribing to our newsletter and getting our free guide.
