Patient Engagement and the Importance of Diversity in Clinical Research - Workshop

Increasing representation and diversity in clinical research has long been a top priority within the healthcare community, and in recent years, significant steps have been taken toward formalizing efforts to increase clinical trial diversity. Despite these efforts, gaps in representation remain, and mistrust and lack of access are often cited as two main barriers for underrepresented groups in clinical research. Building trust and increasing access look different across communities, and progress depends on recognizing the need for diverse approaches. Building upon the themes from the Community Collaboration, Access, & Clinical Research panel at CHI’s 12th Annual Diversity, Inclusion, & Health Equity Symposium, this workshop will foster a collaborative exchange of ideas on patient engagement and the importance of diversity in clinical research. Workshop attendees will discuss actionable strategies to impact change across the healthcare ecosystem and help inform a roadmap to action, equipping individuals with tools to create new solutions within their organizations to drive progress toward health equity.

Insights in Action Working Session #1 -  Building Trust and Engaging Underrepresented Communities

Trust and relationship building continually emerge as crucial elements to increasing diversity in clinical research and engaging underrepresented communities, especially those with historically rooted mistrust. Yet the “how” of achieving these elements is often left abstract. This working session will discuss what building trust with communities looks like across the healthcare ecosystem and will focus on actionable strategies for relationship building.  

Insights in Action Working Session #2 - Embracing  “Diversity within Diversity” Within Clinical Research

Coined “diversity within diversity” by one of the panelists at CHI’s annual Symposium, different communities have distinct reasons to be wary of or hesitant to participate in research, and within groups, a wide range of thought often exists regarding mistrust. This concept also extends to other aspects of clinical research, including how we define access to trials and data disaggregation. This session will focus on approaching different aspects of clinical research with a “diversity within diversity” framework to develop approaches to increase representation.