Funded by the 2018 Victory Ride to Cure Cancer
There is a low number of people involved in clinical studies. This is a national problem. This problem plays a part in poor health for people with cancer. It is even more of a problem for people of color who do not take part in clinical studies at the same rate as whites for several reasons. Some of these reasons include fear and not knowing about clinical studies. Also, some current and past research studies did not tell people of color the truth about the study and caused high rates of sickness and death in some cases. These reasons play a role in some people deciding not to take part in a study. Some people of color are not involved with clinical studies because they were not asked. Research teams may not ask people of color due to bias that they may not be aware of or concerns about trust. Studies show that most people who take part in a study do so because they were asked. The main reason people do not enroll in clinical studies is because they were not asked and did not know anything about it.
Studies suggest there is a need to teach research teams how to build skills in working with people of color. There is a need to build trust between patients and clinical staff as well as learn ways to increase the number of people of color enrolled in studies. The Just Ask: Diversity in Clinical Research Training Program works with patients, the community, and research teams to build skills and increase the number of people of color in clinical studies.
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