VIDEO: Collaboration is key to improving inclusivity, minority representation in research
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In a Healio video exclusive, Lina M. Felípez, MD, highlights the importance of minority participation and inclusivity in research to improve clinical outcomes among underrepresented populations.
“Currently, the U.S. population is approximately 61.6% white, 12.4% Black or African American, 2.9% Alaskan Native, 7.2% Asian and 0.2% Hawaiian, with Hispanic being 18.7%,” Felípez, director of IBD research and associate director of the IBD Center and fellowship program at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, told Healio. “It’s important to know that all of this will change: It is estimated, by the census of 2020, that by 2044, 50.3% of all Americans are going to be minorities other than non-Hispanic white.”
Despite these predictions, it is currently estimated that 5% to 50% of study participants are Black and only 1% to 7.6% are Hispanic, Felípez noted.
“This lack of diversity causes moral and ethical problems,” she said, as well as scientific and medical concerns.
There are a number of reasons why minorities are hesitant to participate in clinical trials, including mistrust, lack of awareness and medical knowledge, and lack of diversity in health care settings. To overcome these barriers, Felípez proposed raising awareness about the importance of diversity, creating connections between trial participants and research and medical teams, and improving accessibility with free transportation in underserved areas.
“Collaboration is the key,” she said. “We need to try to collaborate with medical groups and societies that serve minorities to get them included. We need to provide a more inclusive environment for our patients [and] increase minorities in research to be able to improve the clinical outcomes in their populations.”
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Felípez LM. The importance of increasing minority participation in clinical research studies. Presented at: NASPGHAN; Oct. 4-7, 2023; San Diego.
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