Gardener’s Grove Conference 2023 - Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Where Do Pragmatic Trials Fit In? (March 2023): 17-min webinar (19:39 - 36:40) (12-slide presentation)

• Summary: Dr. Laura Dember (19:39 - 36:40 in the webinar) describes strategies for increasing equity through accessibility (e.g., non-restrictive eligibility criteria, incorporating intervention and outcome assessments into routine care, electronic health record-based approaches for enrolling eligible participants) and by bringing research to patients (community-based trials).

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Understanding Health Disparities Series (Diversity & Inclusion in Clinical Trials): 1-page website.

• Summary: Describes the importance of diversity and inclusion in clinical trials and provides real-world examples of the need for such inclusion (e.g., overviews trials that were used to understand COVID-19 and asthma disparities). Emphasizes that inclusive participation in trials benefits scientific discovery by, for example, countering mistrust in clinical research and by: including women and people from racial and ethnic minorities, including sexual and gender minority populations, and including participants with various socioeconomic status.

NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory - Developing a Pipeline of Diverse Investigators and Leaders in Pragmatic Clinical Trials: Perspectives From the NHLBI (July 30, 2021): 14-min webinar (22-slide presentation; slides 40-61)

• Summary: Dr. George Manesh, Director of the Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science at National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) discusses how to increase the number of diverse investigators and leaders in pragmatic trials. He offers five key takeaways: (1) start as early as possible, (2) nurture a large pool of trainees, (3) use funding mechanisms such as diversity supplements, (4) create mentor/mentee pairings, and (5) use relevant funding announcements that offer career development.

Dember LM. The Potential for Pragmatic Trials to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Kidney Disease. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2022 Sep;33(9):1649-1651. (3-page paper)

• Summary: Emphasizes that pragmatic trials can advance equity in both research and clinical care, and that they are well suited for evaluating interventions that aim to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in kidney disease outcomes (and likely other conditions that disproportionately affect certain groups of people).

NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory - Equitably Including Diverse Participants in Pragmatic Clinical Trials (August 12, 2022): 58-min webinar (38-slide presentation)

• Summary: Dr. Consuelo Wilkins establishes that historical, systemic, structural, and sociocultural factors impact diversity in pragmatic trials and overviews strategies to enable equitable inclusion of minoritized racial and ethnic groups in pragmatic trials at both the investigator- and study-levels.

Nolan TS, et al. Partnering to Enhance Clinical Trial Retention of Black Men. N Engl J Med. 2024 Feb 29;390(9):778-779. (1-page report)

• Summary: This report overviews an example whereby establishing trust with well-respected community organizations, cultivating safe spaces for dialogue, capitalizing on spirituality, and centering on brotherhood allowed clinician-scientists to curate trusting relationships (allyship) that facilitated recruitment and retention of Black Americans in a clinical trial.