Challenging Assumptions About Minority Participation in US Clinical Research

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 101; no. 12; pp. 2217 - 2222
• Main Authors: Fisher, Jill A., Kalbaugh, Corey A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Public Health Association 01.12.2011
• Subjects: African Americans; African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical research; Clinical trials; Clinical Trials as Topic - statistics & numerical data; Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Ethics; Ethics, Research; General aspects; Health care; Hispanic Americans; Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data; Human subjects; Humans; Medical research; Medical sciences; Minority & ethnic groups; Minority groups; Minority Groups - statistics & numerical data; Minority set aside programs; Miscellaneous; Participation; Patient Participation - statistics & numerical data; Patient Selection; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Syphilis; United States; Volunteers; Winning Policy Change; Womens health; United States; North America; America; Participation; Clinical research; Minority; Public health
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300279

Although extensive research addresses minorities’ low participation in clinical research, most focuses almost exclusively on therapeutic trials. The existing literature might mask important issues concerning minorities’ participation in clinical trials, and minorities might actually be overrepresented in phase I safety studies that require the participation of healthy volunteers. It is critical to consider the entire spectrum of clinical research when discussing the participation of disenfranchised groups; the literature on minorities’ distrust, poor access, and other barriers to trial participation needs reexamination. Minority participation in clinical trials is an important topic in public health discussions because this representation touches on issues of equality and the elimination of disparities, which are core values of the field.