Faster Together, Enhancing the Recruitment of Marginalized Communities in Clinical Trials

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/recruitment-minorities-clinical-trials

Introduction

## Course Review: *Faster Together: Enhancing the Recruitment of Marginalized Communities in Clinical Trials* In recent years, the necessity of diversity in clinical trials has come to the forefront of health research discussions. *Faster Together: Enhancing the Recruitment of Marginalized Communities in Clinical Trials*, available on Coursera, is an invaluable course designed to address this critical issue. With a growing recognition of the disparities in healthcare outcomes, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities, this course offers participants the knowledge and skills needed to improve recruitment strategies for clinical trials, ensuring that marginalized communities are adequately represented. ### Course Overview The primary goal of this course is to enhance the recruitment of racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials. With real-world applications and an actionable curriculum, it focuses on several critical aspects, including understanding the importance of diversity in clinical trials, recognizing barriers to participation, and engaging with communities effectively. ### Syllabus Breakdown The course is organized into eight comprehensive modules: 1. **Understanding the Need to Increase Minority Recruitment in Clinical Trials** This module sets the foundation by elucidating why minority recruitment is essential. It addresses the direct consequences of underrepresentation in research and sheds light on historical context, such as past research abuses that have bred distrust within these communities. 2. **Key Principles of Community Engagement** Fostering successful community partnerships requires introspection and an awareness of personal biases. This module highlights effective strategies for building relationships with communities to facilitate participation in clinical trials. 3. **Reaching Out Into the Community: Effective Communication** Clear communication is critical in persuading individuals to participate in research. This module emphasizes best practices for both written and oral communication to engage potential participants effectively. 4. **Educating Potential Research Participants** Education is key to building interest in clinical trials. This module delves into how to tailor educational efforts to different learning styles and cultural contexts, ensuring inclusivity. 5. **Outreach with Community Healthcare Providers** Partnering with local healthcare providers can significantly enhance recruitment efforts. This module discusses the importance of trust-building and encourages referral initiatives from providers to increase participation from minority groups. 6. **Effective Screening, Education, and Decision Support** Understanding the accrual process is vital. This module guides participants on implementing standardized screening protocols and emphasizes pre-consent education, which is crucial for informed decision-making. 7. **Managing an Effective, Person-Centered Consent Process** This module focuses on delivering the informed consent process in a culturally sensitive manner that considers language and health literacy, which are significant barriers for many potential participants. 8. **Person-Centered Retention** Retention is equally important as recruitment. This lesson addresses common challenges faced by participants and presents strategies to enhance retention throughout the trial duration. ### Recommended Audience *Faster Together* is well-suited for anyone involved in clinical research, medical practitioners, public health professionals, or community advocates. If you are looking to create a more inclusive environment within clinical research, this course is for you. ### Conclusion Overall, *Faster Together: Enhancing the Recruitment of Marginalized Communities in Clinical Trials* is a must-take course for its relevant and timely approach to an enduring issue in health research. With thorough content, insightful modules, and practical applications, this course not only informs but also empowers participants to make tangible changes in the recruitment of marginalized communities. Investing time in this course is not just about professional development; it is about contributing to a more equitable and representative healthcare system. Don't miss the opportunity to be part of this transformative movement in clinical research.

Syllabus

Module 1: Understanding the Need to Increase Minority Recruitment in Clinical Trials

This lesson describes the need to include racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials. We review how low participation of minorities in research affects health care. We discuss the lasting impact of past research abuses on people’s thoughts about research. Finally, we cover barriers to research participation and how to overcome them.

This lesson begins by describing the need to look at one’s own biases. Next, we review effective ways to engage with the community to make recruitment easier. We discuss the steps needed to make community partnerships. Finally, we show how community partnerships can increase recruitment for minority populations.

This lesson reviews communication best practices. We discuss ways to improve written and oral communication. The lesson aims to provide the knowledge and tools to more effectively communicate with the public about clinical trials.

This lesson discusses how to provide education about clinical trials. We present ways to help build interest in trials. We show how to use learning styles and culture to improve education.

This lesson reviews how partnering with community healthcare providers can help boost minority participation in clinical trials. We discuss concerns providers may have about clinical trials. We explain the need to build trust with providers. Last, we present ways to foster provider referral.

This lesson discusses the steps leading to accrual in a clinical trial. Accrual means the process of enrolling patients into a trial. It also means the number of people who are in or have completed a study. We begin by explaining how using a standardized approach to screening can help with accrual. We next discuss the need for education about clinical trials before beginning the consent process. We call this “pre-consent education.” We cover the five components of pre-consent education, including how to provide decision support.

This lesson describes how to conduct the informed consent process using a person-centered approach. We discuss the role of culture, language, health literacy, and support.

This lesson describes why retention of participants in clinical trials is important. We review common retention challenges that study participants may face once they agree to be a part of a clinical trial. Finally, we provide approaches to help with retention.