Technology considerations to promote inclusion, equity and diversity in clinical research

Underrepresented groups traditionally were thought to have limited access to technology. But internet access is on the rise and researchers can take steps to increase participant diversity and be more inclusive.

The lack of diversity in health research threatens the process of medical science and the future of the healthcare industry. Researchers have long struggled to represent all groups equally in clinical research studies, something the Covid-19 pandemic helped highlight with infection and deaths rates higher for certain racial and socioeconomic classes. For example, one study showed that non-Hispanic Black people account for 34% of Covid-19 deaths, even though they only make up 12% of the population.

While the pandemic highlighted this inequity, it also provided a potential solution. Diseases impact different populations while drugs and other treatments work differently on each person. The pandemic helped accelerate the concept of precision medicine, a data-intensive process to customize care based on a person’s genetic profile. To make precision medicine and other similar initiatives work, researchers need more data on underrepresented populations.

Read more at MedCity News.