“If we are to improve diversity in clinical trials, we need to understand minority experiences, and how these can be improved to support recruitment and retention,” says Heidi Green, PhD, Director of Health Research Equity, COUCH Health. “The Minority Experiences in Clinical Trials (MERIT) project set out to understanding why ethnic minorities are underrepresented, using a qualitative evidence synthesis to identify factors that influence recruitment. We aimed to find out whether these factors differ from the experiences of predominantly white populations.”
The project yielded 22 findings on various aspects of minority participant experiences, explains Green. These fell into four broad themes: trial influences on decision to participate; personal influences on the decision to participate; the impact of potential outcomes on the decision to participate; and system level influences on participation. “The findings highlight the importance of putting all patients first—not just the ones we already engage with—and ensuring that everyone has a good clinical trial experience,” Green says.
Rapid-Fire Session—What We Can Learn from Minority Experiences in Clinical Trials
Join Heidi at ACRP 2024 [May 3–6; Anaheim, Calif.], for a rapid-fire session where she’ll present the findings from the MERIT project which explored factors that impact how people from ethnic minority groups engage with clinical trials. View complete schedule.
Edited by Jill Dawson
