Abstract
According to the NIH, the recruitment and retention of racial and ethnic minorities into clinical trials is a leading challenge confronting clinical researchers, and undoubtedly contributes to the persistence of health disparities. Our nation lacks scientific consensus about the methods and procedures needed to effectively and respectfully increase participation of minority populations in biomedical and public health research. Much of the published literature is focused on religious, spiritual, and cultural beliefs among minorities as the primary barriers to increased participation. Far less has been published on the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and cultural competence of researchers as potential barriers to increased participation of minorities in research.
This presentation will include both didactic and experiential components from the NIH Bioethics Research Infrastructure Initiative: Building Trust between Minorities and Researchers. Dr. Sandra C. Quinn and Dr. Stephen B. Thomas, both Principal Investigators, will discuss selected highlights from the data from several specific aims of their study including:1) an online survey of researchers and IRB members (N=424) concerning their experience with minority participation in research; 2) selected themes from qualitative interviews with 31 researchers on best practices in engagement with minority communities; 3) results from a national random household survey of African Americans and Latinos (N=2,500) regarding attitudes toward participation in research and 4) components of their curriculum aimed at building the capacity of researchers and IRBs to engage more effectively with minority communities. Finally, we will present selected media products created as part of the Building Trust curriculum initiatives.
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