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Recruiting diversity where it exists: The Alabama Genomic Health Initiative
Author(s) -
May Thomas,
Can Ashley,
Moss Irene P.,
NakanoOkuno Mariko,
Hardy Sharonda,
Miskell Edrika L.,
Kelley Whitley V.,
Curry William,
East Kelly M.,
Acemgil Aras,
Schach Julie,
Sodeke Stephen O.,
Fouad Mo.,
Johnson Robert D.,
Cimino James,
Richards Jaimie L.,
Knight Sara J.,
Korf Bruce
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of genetic counseling
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1573-3599
pISSN - 1059-7700
DOI - 10.1002/jgc4.1258
Subject(s) - diversity (politics) , representation (politics) , community engagement , health equity , public health , population health , population , african american , community health , gerontology , public relations , sociology , medicine , political science , demography , nursing , anthropology , law , politics
Lack of diversity among genomic research participants results in disparities in benefits from genetic testing. To address this, the Alabama Genomic Health Initiative employed community engagement strategies to recruit diverse populations where they lived. In this paper, we describe our engagement techniques and recruitment strategies, which resulted in significant improvement in representation of African American participants. While African American participation has not reached the representation of this community as a percentage of Alabama's overall population (26%–27%), we have achieved an overall representation exceeding 20% for African Americans. We believe this demonstrates the value of engagement and recruitment where diverse populations reside.