Introduction

As the cornerstone of advancing medical science, clinical trials require broad diversity among participating patients to ensure advancing medical science is globally accurate, sufficient, and available comprehensively. Throughout clinical trials lifecycle, disparities can emerge, affecting endpoints, outcomes, and patient experiences. Social determinants of health (SDOH) or conditional environments for patients, such as age, race, ethnicity, and other factors impact trial outcomes. The importance of diversity in trials is being increasingly regulated, with reported penalties for non-compliant trial activity.

Invest in Community

To ensure the success of clinical trials, the investment in the community must be evident to foster strong, genuine, and transparent relationships between patients and clinical trial professionals. In addition, clinical trial education material development is progressing and is geared toward considering local sites’ audiences. Patient Advocacy Groups (PAG), both local and national, as well as Healthcare Professional (HCP) engagements, a patient focus group, for example, aid in creating well-balanced approaches to trial planning and study participation by allowing patients and medical professionals to connect.

Invest in Partnerships

Additionally, digital community investment is highly critical for patients seeking information from trusted and validated sources, such as Digital Opinion Leaders (DOLs) or Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), while allowing a broader reach of patients through geographic audiences. The many facets of digital reach enable solutions such as digital awareness campaigns, digital education materials and websites, and even AI-generated tools to help facilitate important information to patients and caregivers.

Diversify Clinical Trials

By investing in community and forming partnerships within the clinical trials, patient outcomes become truer voices of those effected by the diseases and stigmas surrounding medical spaces. This approach allows more direct insights and understanding, thereby enhancing the quality and inclusivity of clinical trials. Building the trial pathway amongst the communities, patients, and partners throughout the journey, cultivates impartial and inclusive trials, encouraging united efforts toward a more diverse and inclusive future of medical research.

 Conclusion

The future of clinical trial data collection, reporting, and medical outcomes are heavily reliant on the continued innovative science efforts put forth by all patients and medical stakeholders. Clinical trial researchers and clinicians must continue to learn how to appropriately engage diverse patient populations with efficient protocols and processes to prevent gaps in knowledge and medical learning. Our Clinical Trials Optimization team aims to thread clinical trial diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in all study consultation support, study recruitment efforts, patient, HCP, and patient advocacy group engagements.