Clinical trials are a crucial step in the development of new drugs and therapies, but they have historically lacked diversity, particularly when it comes to the representation of minority groups. This lack of diversity has led to significant disparities in health outcomes, as treatments may not be tailored to the unique needs of underrepresented populations. BDO had a conversation via Facebook Live on how health equity can remedy this issue.
What health equity means
Dr. Camille Pope, a pharmacist and the Director of Community Engagement at Acclimate, a company focused on empowering communities to take action for better health, emphasized the importance of health equity in clinical trials. “To talk about health equity, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has my favorite definition: It is about either providing resources or removing barriers, like the actual action of providing resources or removing barriers to make sure that people have equal access, or are involved in the equal opportunity to good health or the equal opportunity to participate in clinical trials,” she said.
How to approach health equity
Health equity goes beyond simply including diverse populations in clinical trials; it involves actively removing barriers and providing resources to ensure equal access and opportunity. As Dr. Pope explained, “It’s not just about equality and giving people the same thing. It’s about taking action to remove what barriers might exist that keep people from being able to participate, or it’s providing resources like education.”
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Ricki Fairley, the founder and CEO of TOUCH BBCA, echoed this sentiment, stating, “If you can remove a barrier, remove it. If you can give a resource, give a resource. And but until the world does it, we gotta do it ourselves.”
Barriers to clinical trial participation
One of the primary barriers to clinical trial participation among minority groups is a lack of awareness and education. As Dr. Monique Gary, a breast cancer surgeon, pointed out, “We need to know it before we need it.” She emphasized the importance of educating communities about clinical trials before they are in a position where they may need to consider participating.
Dr. Pope shared her approach to addressing this barrier, saying, “We’re going into different metropolitan areas and doing the work of educating and bringing resources to the community. And sometimes it’s specific to clinical trials.”
Achieving health equity in clinical trials is not only a matter of ethical responsibility but also a crucial step toward developing more effective and tailored treatments for all populations. As Dr. Pope stated, “We should be involved in every part of the process. The diversity planning that companies have to do—the FDA is asking for it at the point of phase 3 [of the clinical trial], but it would be best if we as Black women and Black men and those who typically haven’t been included in the process in the first place could be involved as early as phase 1 and phase 2, and companies make a plan for that.”
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By actively removing barriers, providing resources, and ensuring diverse representation from the earliest phases of clinical trials, we can work towards achieving true health equity and better health outcomes for all.
