Doctors Working To Overcome Distrust, Confusion To Improve Diversity In Clinical Trials
Last month, the California Medical Association Foundation and its ethnic doctor groups launched a statewide campaign to address the problem.
Sacramento Bee:
California Doctors Try To Bring More Diversity To Medical Research
In a 2011 report, the Food and Drug Administration noted that blacks were 12 percent of the population but only 5 percent of clinical trial participants; Hispanics, at 16 percent of the population, represented only 1 percent. By being underrepresented in clinical trials, women and ethnic minorities can be at a huge health disadvantage when it comes to finding the best treatments or cures for certain diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancers (colon, prostate, cervix, lung) and high blood pressure. (Buck, 4/27)