The importance of clinical research is widely recognized and while many decide to participate in clinical trials, there is a lack of representation of individuals from underserved communities.
Current efforts to address this lack of representation include a guidance document released by the FDA encouraging pharmaceutical companies to broaden their eligibility criteria and to recruit individuals from diverse communities and establishing study sites in areas that lack clinical trial opportunities.
Yet few individuals had recently seen or heard about a clinical trial opportunity, notably 53 percent of Asian and 52 percent of Hispanic individuals did not recall recently learning about an available trial.
However, less than 25 percent of Hispanic and black individuals learn about a clinical trial opportunity through their healthcare providers, highlighting a significant gap between where individuals prefer to learn about clinical research and where they look for opportunities.
Pharmaceutical companies can take an important first step by informing healthcare providers about new clinical trial opportunities in underserved communities.
