Advancing Health Equity through Clinical Trials in Black and African American Communities: A Discussion

Identifying Health Disparities in Black and African American Communities In a recent webinar, Dr. Christine Lee from @FDAHealthEquity and Dr. Claudia Baquet from the University of Maryland engaged in an enlightening discussion about the ongoing research in Black and African American communities. This discussion was particularly relevant to Black History Month, serving as a timely reminder about the importance of addressing health disparities within these communities. The two esteemed researchers delved into the health equity issues that plague these communities, highlighting the crucial role clinical trials play in addressing these disparities. Dr. Lee and Dr. Baquet’s work aims to comprehend the barriers that obstruct these communities from accessing clinical trials, and to devise strategies to enhance participation and representation. The Role of Clinical Trials in Addressing Health Disparities Their research underscores the crucial role of clinical trials in advancing health equity. Clinical trials are instrumental in understanding the effectiveness and safety of new drugs and treatments, but their outcomes can only be generalized if the participants represent the diverse population that these treatments will ultimately serve. Unfortunately, Black and African American communities have been historically underrepresented in these trials, leading to a lack of data on how different treatments work...