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Making Minorities Aware of Clinicial Research a Goal at NIH Clinical Center

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Brief Description:
Making minorities aware of Clinical Research is a goal for the NIH Clinical Center.

Transcript:
AKINSO: There's a perception that minorities aren't interested in taking part in clinical research to help find cures for various diseases. But according to a study, conducted by the Department of Clinical Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, that notion is false. Researchers suggest that minority involvement is more a matter of access than attitude according to Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, chair of the Department of Clinical Bioethics.

EMANUEL: There are many other reasons besides attitudes that might prevent someone from being involved in research. One is they might not be eligible. The research requirements might be designed such that people with certain illnesses aren't eligible, people who don't have insurance aren't eligible and that could seriously impact their ability to participate. Second they might not be aware of the research. There been some studies that suggest that the best predictor of whether someone is participating in a research study. Whether seeing a specialist who can enroll them in the research study. Well if you don't have a specialist for your disease, say you're not being treated by someone who's an expert in cardiology or an expert in diabetes or an expert in your cancer, you might not become aware of this availability of the study.

AKINSO: Making minority groups aware of the importance of clinical research trials is a major problem that needs to be addressed. Dr. Emanuel discusses some of the possible solutions.

EMANUEL: One intervention that might be good, is to partner with places where minorities their health care-community health clinics, inner-city hospitals — and to begin a long term relationship with them so that the health care providers at those facilities are aware of the research can help design research that is going to be seen as valuable to the local community. Another possibility is that big research institutions like the NIH that we begin what some have called navigators — that help people come on to campus.

AKINSO: For more information about taking part in clinical research trials, go to the website www.clinicaltrials.gov. This is Wally Akinso at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda Maryland.

This page was last reviewed on June 30, 2006 .

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