Featured Research

Participation of Underserved Populations in Clinical Trials

• Why was this study done?
  • Some researchers think that underserved populations (e.g. racial/ethnic minorities or socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals) do not want to participate in clinical trials.
  • We were interested in how many patients participated in and dropped out of clinical trials at safety-net institutions, which are the main source of care for underserved populations.
     
• What did the study find?
  • Clinical trials at safety-net institutions generally had high participation, especially trials related to cancer.
  • Not many underserved participants dropped out of the trials.
     
• What do the findings mean?
  • These findings go against the idea that underserved populations are unwilling to participate in clinical trials.
  • Safety-net institutions should more often be considered as sites for clinical trials as a way to reach underserved populations.
     
• Details about this study can be found here.