Open AccessCase Study: Community Engagement and Clinical Trial Success: Outreach to African American Women
Author(s) -
Johnson Davalynn A.,
Joosten Yvonne A.,
Wilkins Consuelo H.,
Shibao Cyndya A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
clinical and translational science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.303
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1752-8062
pISSN - 1752-8054
DOI - 10.1111/cts.12264
Subject(s) - outreach , community engagement , clinical trial , psychological intervention , medicine , medical education , health equity , scope (computer science) , population , schedule , community based participatory research , gerontology , psychology , nursing , public relations , participatory action research , political science , public health , environmental health , sociology , operating system , pathology , computer science , law , programming language , anthropology
This brief report examines how the use of community engagement principles and approaches enhanced clinical trial recruitment and retention. The Community‐Engaged Research Core (CERC), a CTSA‐supported resource designed to facilitate community involvement in clinical and translational research, was consulted to provide assistance with the implementation of the clinical trial, and specifically to enhance participation of the target population—African American women. CERC's key recommendations included: (1) convene a Community Engagement Studio, (2) redesign the recruitment advertisement, (3) simplify the language used to explain the scope of the study, and (4) provide transportation for participants. As a result of these interventions, a comprehensive strategy to recruit, enroll, and retain participants was formulated. After implementation of the plan by the study team, enrollment increased 78% and recruitment goals were met 16 months ahead of schedule. Participant retention and study drug adherence was 100%. We conclude that community engagement is essential to the development of an effective multifaceted plan to improve recruitment of underrepresented groups in clinical trials.