Improving the Representation of Women and Underrepresented Minorities in Clinical Trials and Research
This report will aim to increase the participation and inclusion of women and minoritized groups in clinical trials. The committee will examine the research on barriers to participation, highlight programs that address issues of underrepresentation in clinical trials, and identify more inclusive institutional and informational policies and procedures to increase the likelihood of improved health outcomes for women and racial and ethnic minorities.
An ad hoc committee under the auspices of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will undertake a study examining the long-term economic and medical impacts of the lack of inclusion of women and underrepresented minority groups in clinical research and subsequent translational work. The study will:
Review and examine the existing research on the long-term economic and health benefits of increasing the participation of women and racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials and research, including research on the fiscal implications of inclusion on the nation’s overall health care costs.
Review the existing literature on the factors that affect inclusion, including building equity into research designs and methods, unique inclusion-related challenges of specific medical or behavioral health conditions, and community-driven approaches to researching including women and other underrepresented groups.
Examine new programs and experimental initiatives in medical centers that are currently working to increase participation of women and members of racial and ethnic minority groups.
Highlight programs that are positively addressing issues of underrepresentation in clinical trials, including models from individuals and communities to address trust from a patient and community perspective, and analyze whether and how those programs are replicable and scalable.
Identify more inclusive federal, institutional, and informational policies and procedures to increase the likelihood of improved health outcomes for underrepresented groups, including racial and ethnic minority groups and others, including health referral forms, continuing education classes for practitioners, and more.
The committee will produce a final consensus report with findings and recommendations.
