Novel Web-Based Resource Could Help Close Gap of Minority Enrollment in Clinical Trials

WASHINGTON, April 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Monday, April 19, the National Minority Quality Forum (the Forum), a research and educational nonprofit focusing on reducing health disparities, will unveil the National Clinical Trials Atlas (CT Atlas) during the two-day Spring Health Braintrust and Health Disparities Leadership Summit sponsored by the Forum and the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC.  

The introduction will take place at 11:45 a.m. during the Summit session entitled "Improving Enrollment of Minorities in Clinical Trials."  For those not at the Summit who wish to observe the introduction, it will be simulcast through a webinar at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/338433595.  

The CT Atlas will allow researchers to identify where gaps in minority enrollment in clinical trials exist, based on disease prevalence and population demographics. The CT Atlas maps (by zip code, state, and state and federal legislative districts) clinical trial data collected by the federal government.

The CT Atlas, the first-ever tool available for this purpose, enables users to filter their zip code searches to identify clinical trials that are being conducted in minority communities. Users can also search by disease state to locate a clinical trial. To access the CT Atlas, go to www.nmqf.org.

"Changing demographics will increase diversity in the US population. The demographic shift will require greater diversity of subjects in clinical trials to meet patient and market needs," says Gary Puckrein, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Forum. "We see the CT Atlas as a first step toward building a permanent, national clinical trial network that has the capacity to promote the recruitment of more diverse populations into clinical trials at a fraction of today's cost while encouraging innovations when unmet needs are recognized. The key to success of this initiative is partnerships and collaborations, and we are particularly grateful for the critical, early support that this project received from Pfizer Inc."

"As a leader in health and science, Pfizer is pleased to support the National Minority Quality Forum's new National Clinical Trial Atlas and to call for its widespread use in guiding the design of such trials," says Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall, Chief Medical Officer of Pfizer Inc. "This atlas will be highly valuable in constructing clinical trials that enlist a wider array of human volunteers—people reflecting the changing face of our nation and committed to the important work of bringing new treatments and cures to everyone."

The CT Atlas is part of a larger effort led by the Forum to create a permanent national clinical trial network that facilities the recruitment of diverse populations while bringing efficiencies to the clinical trial process. Organizations collaborating with the Forum in the development of this network include Resilient Network Systems, Inc.; NaviNet, Inc.; the Right Care Technology Innovation Network; Anvita Health; the Clinical Groupware Collaborative; the Division of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) at University of California San Diego; the San Diego Supercomputer Center; and LexisNexis Risk Solutions.

NaviNet, a leading health-care technology communications firm, will be a critical partner in ensuring that medical providers, health insurers, and other healthcare stakeholders are able to exchange patient information through a secure new Web-enabled clinical-trial network.

"As America's largest real-time healthcare communications network, NaviNet electronically links over 850,000 providers nationwide with a powerful, easy-to-use, Web-based solution," says Brad Waugh, President and Chief Executive Officer of NaviNet. "By connecting the Forum's new clinical trial infrastructure to hundreds of thousands of physicians in the NaviNet Network who serve minority populations, NaviNet will cover the critical 'last mile' in reaching Americans who are underrepresented in vital clinical research."  

The CT Atlas began with support from Pfizer. The challenge ahead, Dr. Puckrein foresees, is to get others to hear the call and step forward to solve a national problem.

The National Minority Quality Forum is a research and educational organization dedicated to ensuring that high-risk racial and ethnic populations and communities receive optimal health care. This nonprofit, nonpartisan organization integrates data and expertise in support of initiatives to eliminate health disparities.

SOURCE National Minority Quality Forum