This Health Tech Company Is Sharing Its Diverse Clinical Trials Playbook

After three years of successful clinical trials, Abbott is sharing its strategies for diversifying clinical trials in healthcare. In the newly released publication “Advancing Diversity in Clinical Trials,” the organization lays out a blueprint for reaching populations that are overwhelmingly affected by numerous life-threatening conditions but underrepresented in research.  According to Dr. Jennifer Jones-McMeans, the co-chair of the diversity and research office and divisional vice president of Global Clinical Affairs for Jennifer Jones-McMeans Ph.D Abbott’s vascular business, the call to action came in 2020. She says, “We really pushed on with an endeavor to ensure that those who were highly burdened by the diseases that we actually treat were well represented.” Chronic diseases, such as heart disease and peripheral artery disease are prevalent in the Black community, but historically, Black people haven’t readily taken advantage of opportunities to advance research that could benefit them. Various factors impact that participation, including historic racism, mistrust, and lack of access.  Jones-McMeans explains that trials have come a long way in safety and that working with a regulating body like the Food and Drug Administration ensures that safety is just as important as making sure every group has access, regardless of age, race, or...