scholarly journals Patient Navigation As a Model to Increase Participation of African Americans in Cancer Clinical Trials

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 556-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona N. Fouad ◽  
Aras Acemgil ◽  
Sejong Bae ◽  
Andres Forero ◽  
Nedra Lisovicz ◽  
...  

Purpose: Less than 10% of patients enrolled in clinical trials are minorities. The patient navigation model has been used to improve access to medical care but has not been evaluated as a tool to increase the participation of minorities in clinical trials. The Increasing Minority Participation in Clinical Trials project used patient navigators (PNs) to enhance the recruitment of African Americans for and their retention in therapeutic cancer clinical trials in a National Cancer Institute–designated comprehensive cancer center. Methods: Lay individuals were hired and trained to serve as PNs for clinical trials. African American patients potentially eligible for clinical trials were identified through chart review or referrals by clinic nurses, physicians, and social workers. PNs provided two levels of services: education about clinical trials and tailored support for patients who enrolled in clinical trials. Results: Between 2007 and 2014, 424 African American patients with cancer were referred to the Increasing Minority Participation in Clinical Trials project. Of those eligible for a clinical trial (N = 378), 304 (80.4%) enrolled in a trial and 272 (72%) consented to receive patient navigation support. Of those receiving patient navigation support, 74.5% completed the trial, compared with 37.5% of those not receiving patient navigation support. The difference in retention rates between the two groups was statistically significant (P < .001). Participation of African Americans in therapeutic cancer clinical trials increased from 9% to 16%. Conclusion: Patient navigation for clinical trials successfully retained African Americans in therapeutic trials compared with non–patient navigation trial participation. The model holds promise as a strategy to reduce disparities in cancer clinical trial participation. Future studies should evaluate it with racial/ethnic minorities across cancer centers.

Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 4965-4965
Author(s):  
Gygeria Manuel ◽  
Amy Ayers ◽  
Jonathan Berman ◽  
Shannon Blee ◽  
Claire Sibold ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Although the incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is lower in minority populations, there is a difference in presentation, survivorship and participation in clinical trials (Becnel et al., 2017). African American patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) present with more aggressive features including higher lactate dehydrogenase, increased frequency of B-symptoms, and higher rate of HIV co-infection, while also presenting at a younger age than other patients. (Tiu et al., 2020). Given the association of race with lymphoma presentation and outcomes, minority participation in clinical trials is of vital importance when developing novel therapies. There have been efforts to increase participation of African Americans in cancer clinical trials including patient navigation outreach which resulted in improvement of 9% to 16% of patients approached (Fouad et al., 2016). However, a recent study illustrated that for DLBCL, acute myeloid leukemia, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, individuals of African descent represented 1.5%, 2.3%, and 6.7% of clinical trial participants, respectively (Gopishetty et al., 2020). We are conducting the current study to identify factors that influence decisions regarding clinical trial participation in African American patients with NHL. Methods: We are identifying African American patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma who enrolled in a therapeutic clinical trial at Emory University between 2010-2020. We will utilize the electronic medical record to identify patient characteristics such as distance from medical facility, insurance status, type of insurance, comorbidities, education status, type of diagnosis, and race of diagnosing physician. This data will compare African American patients who participated in clinical trials to those who did not participate as part of their initial treatment, specifically comparing baseline characteristics of interest between the groups. Furthermore, the data mention above will be compared between African American and white patients. We are also conducting interviews with a selected group of African American patients that have opted to participate in therapeutic clinical trials to gain a thorough understanding of the barriers and benefits they endured during their experience. The interview questions are based on prior knowledge of clinical trials, distance to facility, religious/ spiritual belief, trust of the physician, additional expenses, and time corresponded to treatment. Patients are asked to rate the importance each factor in their decision to participate and elaborate on points most specific to them. In addition, the interview allows for discussion of possible factors that challenged their participation in clinical trials which may allow for insight on low participation levels nationally. Furthermore, we are going to target patients who enrolled on clinical trials and will subsequently identify patients who did not participate in studies to identify differences in perception of treatment and clinical investigation. This project is partnered with Accounting for the High Enrollment of African Americans in Winship Cancer Institute's Clinical Trials, at Emory University. Conclusions:This study is currently enrolling patients and will answer key questions related to clinical trial participation in African American patients with lymphoma. We aim for the data collected from this study to assist in creating lymphoma clinical trials that better cater to the unique needs and considerations of African Americans. Disclosures Cohen: Genentech, Takeda, BMS/Celgene, BioInvent, LAM, Astra Zeneca, Novartis, Loxo/Lilly: Research Funding; Janssen, Adaptive, Aptitude Health, BeiGene, Cellectar, Adicet, Loxo/Lilly, AStra ZenecaKite/Gilead: Consultancy.


2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (34) ◽  
pp. 8730-8738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanette M. Trauth ◽  
Jan C. Jernigan ◽  
Laura A. Siminoff ◽  
Donald Musa ◽  
Derietra Neal-Ferguson ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe the factors associated with the decisions of older African American women to join the PLCO (Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian) Cancer Screening Trial when recruited. Methods African American women between ages 55 and 74 years who were never diagnosed with a PLCO cancer were eligible for our study. Two methods of recruitment were used. First, mailings were sent to a random sample of women describing the PLCO followed by a telephone call to determine interest in the PLCO. If women were not interested in PLCO but consented to participate in our study, they were interviewed immediately. Second, we followed up with African American women who responded to mass mailings sent out before the start of our study by the Pittsburgh PLCO office. Women completed an interview about their cancer and clinical trial knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. The responses of women who joined the PLCO Trial are contrasted with the responses of women who did not join. Results Numerous factors were associated with the decision of older African American women to join the PLCO, including perceptions of cancer prevention and detection, the experience of having a loved one with cancer, knowledge of and experience with clinical trials, and beliefs regarding the benefits and risks of clinical trial participation. Conclusion Minority recruitment to cancer clinical trials could be increased by designing interventions focused on individual, organizational, and community needs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e19217-e19217
Author(s):  
Gautam Valecha ◽  
Nishitha Thumallapally ◽  
Sandy El Bitar ◽  
Terenig O. Terjanian ◽  
Louise Madrigal ◽  
...  

e19217 Background: Clinical trials offer several advantages to the patients including access to innovative treatments with improved survival rates, closer monitoring and follow-up with removal of health disparity; and aim to advance the science of medicine. Yet, worldwide enrollment rates in cancer clinical trials have been only about 5 percent, despite the fact that a significantly higher percentage of Americans have a desire to participate in clinical trials [1, 2]. We conducted a single institution study to gain knowledge about clinical trial awareness in our cancer patient population as well as to identify the barriers within provider-consumer communication that prevent enrollment. Methods: A 10-question survey was distributed by medical assistants and surveys (n=222) were collected at the end of each clinic visit. Responders included racial/ethnic minorities and underserved patients, representative of the ethnic diversity in the Staten Island Borough of New York City. Demographic data including age, gender, zip code, race and ethnicity were recorded. Additionally, Charlson comorbidity index and tumor stage was also recorded. Results: 159/222 patients (71.62%) completed the survey. Of these patients, 47 (29.55%) answered every question on the survey, while 112/159 patients (70.44%) answered only few of the questions. The completed surveys are linked by zip code to the different boroughs of Staten Island, which allows us to identify hubs with lack of clinical trial awareness knowledge. Conclusions: Despite the several advantages for patients and medical field, enrollment rates in clinical trials remain very low. Our study results help in gaining knowledge about clinical trial awareness among oncology patients, correlated to comorbidity and tumor stage. In addition, demographic hubs with lack of knowledge are identified as targets for community outreach and education. A multilevel approach will be developed to address identified barriers that exist for patients, and will be implemented at community level, to reduce ethnic bias in trial enrollment and increase trial participation among an ethnically diverse population. References: 1. Unger JM, Cook E, Tai E, Bleyer A: The Role of Clinical Trial Participation in Cancer Research: Barriers, Evidence, and Strategies. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2016, 35:185-198. 10.1200/EDBK_156686 2. Comis RL, Miller JD, Aldigé CR, Krebs L, Stoval E: Public attitudes toward participation in cancer clinical trials. J Clin Oncol. 2003, 21:830-835. 10.1200/JCO.2003.02.105.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Cunningham-Erves ◽  
Tilicia Mayo-Gamble ◽  
Pamela C Hull ◽  
Tao Lu ◽  
Claudia Barajas ◽  
...  

Abstract Aim: Culturally-appropriate, educational programs are recommended to improve cancer clinical trial participation among African Americans and Latinos. This study investigated the effect of a culturally-appropriate, educational program on knowledge, trust in medical researchers, and intent for clinical trial participation among African Americans and Latinos in Middle Tennessee.Method: Trained community health educators delivered a 30-minute presentation with video testimonials to 198 participants in 13 town halls. A pre-post survey design was used to evaluate the intervention among 102 participants who completed both pre- and post-surveys one to two weeks after the session. Results: Paired-sample t-test showed significant increases in unadjusted mean scores for knowledge (p < .001), trust in medical researchers (p < .001), and willingness to participate in clinical trials (p = .003) after the town halls in the overall sample. After adjusting for gender and education, all three outcomes remained significant for the overall sample (knowledge: p < .001; trust in medical researchers: p < .001; willingness: p = .001) and for African Americans (knowledge: p < .001; trust in medical researchers: p = .007; willingness: p = .005). However, willingness to participate was no longer significant for Latinos (knowledge: p < .001; trust in medical researchers: p = .034; willingness: p = .084).Conclusions: The culturally-appropriate, educational program showed promising results for short-term, clinical trial outcomes. Further studies should examine efficacy to improve research participation outcomes.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (5_suppl) ◽  
pp. 157-157
Author(s):  
Dare Olatoye ◽  
Michael Anthony Carducci ◽  
Norma Kanarek

157 Background: Adequate and representative enrollment in therapeutic clinical trials is important to an NCI cancer center. Clinical trial participation is a string of 6 sequential patient and physician decisions beginning with an available therapeutic trial to enrollment in the trial. Opportunities for participation may be lost at any one of these steps. The objective of this study was to calculate transitional probabilities that measure patient, especially minority patient, accrual to clinical trials at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and to describe the barriers for those dropping out at each step. Methods: Records for “first visit” medical oncology patients seen by three SKCCC physicians from January to April 2010 were abstracted. Prostate cancer case reports from the hospital cancer registry and a medical record review provided age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, place of residence, tumor characteristics, and prior treatment history. At each transition step, we calculated the proportion of patients who remained enrollable. Results: Overall, prostate cancer clinical trial participation was 17% (16/94). Minority accrual was similar to Caucasian accrual at 19% and 17% , respectively. Retention at each step of trial participation was highest for “discussed” (98%), “enrolled” (94%), “eligibility” for available trials (79%), and “consented” (71%). Two bottlenecks were qualitatively identified: “trial availability” (65%) and “patient interest” (51%). Forty-two percent of those for whom there was no trial available were older than 70 years and 33% were patients with rising PSA after local therapy and hormone-naïve. The “patient interest” step was shaped primarily by disinterest due to distance to SKCCC (83%). Conclusions: For prostate cancer patients, recruitment to medical oncology clinical trials is robust. Minority patients however are only 17% of all patients seen and half drop out when no trial is available and half of those remaining judged distance to be a problem (hence, no interest). This study approach has clarified which factors are likely to be barriers to participation and is likely useful to making adjustments that can reduce identified barriers by adding to trial portfolio as an example.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6559-6559
Author(s):  
Mona Fouad ◽  
Aras Acemgil ◽  
Sejong Bae ◽  
Andres Forero ◽  
Michelle Martin ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (27_suppl) ◽  
pp. 168-168
Author(s):  
Ofilio Ramon Vigil ◽  
Dana Ann Little ◽  
Kristin J. Mensonides ◽  
Richard J. Bold

168 Background: The UC Davis Health Cancer Care Network (CCN) in Sacramento improves quality through partnerships with community cancer centers and the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCDCCC). The UCDCCC, as an NCI Lead Academic Participating Site (LAPS) grant recipient, lists Adventist Health Rideout Cancer Center (RCC) in Marysville (42 miles north of Sacramento) as a component. The Adventist Health Feather River Cancer Center (FRCC) and the town of Paradise were devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire, forcing FRCC’s relocation to the city of Chico (49 miles north of Marysville). FRCC was forced to disband its local IRB and unable to continue clinical trials research operations during the aftermath of this natural disaster. The CCN established an affiliation with the FRCC in April 2019. Future plans include establishing an IRB agreement and adding FRCC as a LAPS component. The CCN identified strategies to facilitate the participation of FRCC patients in clinical trials. Methods: The CCN identified 13 NCTN clinical trials with 34 enrolled patients that were in need of appropriate research oversight. Four of these trials were previously never activated at the UCDCCC or its affiliates. CCN staff engaged leaders at the various institutions involved: Quality Assurance (QA) Managers at each NCTN research base, the CIRB, the local IRB, the CTSU, and other leaders within UC Davis and Adventist Health. Results: Stakeholders acknowledged the unusual and urgent nature of our requests and questions, while contributing to the development of a plan allowing patients to continue clinical trial participation. QA managers approved a plan transferring patients to the RCC, allowing research staff to collect and submit data while patients continue receiving care closer to home. Together we developed a notification letter to inform patients of this plan. Conclusions: The relocation of facilities and patients brought rare challenges while conducting clinical research in rural communities. We learned that the cooperation and flexibility of all parties involved was crucial in supporting the continued care for FRCC's clinical trial patients and research contributions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viswatej Avutu ◽  
Varun Monga ◽  
Nupur Mittal ◽  
Aniket Saha ◽  
Jeffrey R. Andolina ◽  
...  

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs; age 15-39 years) with cancer are under-represented in cancer clinical trials because of patient, provider, and institutional barriers. Health care technology is increasingly available to and highly used among AYAs and has the potential to improve cancer care delivery. The COVID-19 pandemic forced institutions to rapidly adopt novel approaches for enrollment and monitoring of patients on cancer clinical trials, many of which have the potential for improving AYA trial participation overall. This consensus statement from the Children's Oncology Group AYA Oncology Discipline Committee reviews opportunities to use technology to optimize AYA trial enrollment and study conduct, as well as considerations for widespread implementation of these practices. The use of remote patient eligibility screening, electronic informed consent, virtual tumor boards, remote study visits, and remote patient monitoring are recommended to increase AYA access to trials and decrease the burden of participation. Widespread adoption of these strategies will require new policies focusing on reimbursement for telehealth, license portability, facile communication between electronic health record systems and advanced safeguards to maintain patient privacy and security. Studies are needed to determine optimal approaches to further incorporate technology at every stage of the clinical trial process, from enrollment through study completion.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (33) ◽  
pp. 3745-3752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Jin ◽  
Richard Pazdur ◽  
Rajeshwari Sridhara

Clinical trial eligibility criteria are necessary to define the patient population under study and improve trial safety. However, there are concerns that eligibility criteria for cancer clinical trials are too restrictive and limit patient enrollment in clinical trials. Recently, there have been initiatives to re-examine and modernize eligibility criteria for oncology clinical trials. To assess current eligibility requirements for cancer clinical trials, we have conducted a comprehensive review of eligibility criteria for commercial investigational new drug clinical trial applications submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in 2015. Our findings suggest that eligibility criteria for current cancer clinical trials tend to narrowly define the study population and limit the study to lower-risk patients, which may not be reflective of the greater patient population outside of the study. We discuss potential areas for expanding eligibility criteria to include more patients in clinical trials and design options for clinical trials incorporating expanded eligibility criteria. The broadening of clinical trial eligibility criteria can be considered to better reflect the real-world patient population, improve clinical trial participation, and increase patient access to new investigational treatments.


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