Medical Mistrust Continues to Keep Black Americans Out of Clinical Trials

A new study published in Cancer Medicine highlights the persistent issue of medical mistrust among Black people, particularly regarding living with multiple myeloma. The research underscores the importance of strong patient-doctor relationships and open communication in addressing this complex challenge. Led by Dr. Shakira J. Grant, a health policy fellow with the ASH/AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program, the study involved in-depth interviews with Black and white patients with multiple myeloma and their caregivers. Researchers talked to 21 pairs of people for 60 to 90 minutes: 11 Black patients with cancer and their caregivers, and 10 white patients with cancer and their caregivers. They asked them questions about their experiences with doctors and hospitals. The findings revealed a stark contrast in experiences. While both groups acknowledged the significance of trust in their cancer doctors, Black participants demonstrated a deeper understanding of the historical injustices inflicted upon their community by the medical establishment. References to the infamous Tuskegee syphilis experiment were common, revealing a generational trauma that continues to shape perceptions of health care. “Black participants often had a deep, transgenerational knowledge of events that have led to mistrust,” Dr. Grant explained in an interview with Healio. “Many cited stories...