Clinical research stands at the forefront of medical advancement, offering promising treatments and therapies to combat diseases and improve human health. Despite its noble objectives, the field faces numerous challenges to reduce the complexity of clinical trials notably due to an increasing demand for more data from regulatory and reimbursement stakeholders.
If “recruiting and screening patients who try new treatments and monitoring and reporting on patient progress” sounds like a reasonable, if skimpy, definition of the duties of a clinical research coordinator (CRC) at a clinical trial site, imagine the surprise of a newly minted CRC who finds themself tasked with exploring a shuttered hospital in search of old research records, or visiting the local jail in hopes of finding participants who have gone missing mid-study.
The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) is proud to recognize Velocity Clinical Research as a Breakaway Sponsor of the 2024 ACRP Ride4DEI—the clinical research industry’s premier cycling challenge that raises funds in support of ACRP Continuing Education Grants and tuition scholarships.
Community engagement is a critical step in improving the diversity of clinical trial participants, but this demands more than simply setting up a site in an area with an underserved population. Sustainable growth in recruitment and retention requires ongoing engagement beyond efforts to recruit for a specific trial.
Barriers such as the sparsity of clinical trial sites in rural and underserved communities, inadequate patient reimbursement, and stringent inclusion/exclusion criteria hinder the enrollment of patients from diverse and underrepresented populations. This article outlines strategies for addressing some of the issues facing diversity enrollment, and is intended to stimulate conversation within the industry to ensure these barriers are addressed during the design and implementation of clinical trials.