Delivering a “Dose of Hope”: A Faith-Based Program to Increase Older African Americans’ Participation in Clinical Trials

Abstract

BackgroundUnderrepresentation of older-age racial and ethnic minorities in clinical research is a significant barrier to health in the United States, as it impedes medical research advancement of effective preventive and therapeutic strategies.ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to develop and test the feasibility of a community-developed faith-based intervention and evaluate its potential to increase the number of older African Americans in clinical research.MethodsUsing a cluster-randomized design, we worked with six matched churches to enroll at least 210 persons. We provided those in the intervention group churches with three educational sessions on the role of clinical trials in addressing health disparity topics, and those in the comparison group completed surveys at the same timepoints. All persons enrolled in the study received ongoing information via newsletters and direct outreach on an array of clinical studies seeking participants. We evaluated the short-, mid-, and longer-term effects of the interventional program on clinical trial-related outcomes (ie, screening and enrollment).ResultsFrom 2012 to 2013, we enrolled a balanced cohort of 221 persons in the program. At a 3-month follow-up, mean intention to seek information about clinical trials was higher than baseline in both treatment (mu=7.5/10; sigma=3.1) and control arms (mu=6.6/10; sigma=3.3), with the difference more pronounced in the treatment arm. The program demonstrated strong retention at 3-month (95.4%, 211/221) and 6-month timepoints (94.1%, 208/221).ConclusionsThe “Dose of Hope” program addressed an unmet need to reach an often overlooked audience of older African Americans who are members of churches and stimulate their interest in clinical trial participation. The program demonstrated its appeal in the delivery of effective messages and information about health disparities, and the role of clinical research in addressing these challenges.

A chronic care ostomy self‐management program for cancer survivors

“…Other mechanisms of delivery, such as telehealth, could have made the program more accessible. Second, patients with fewer resources and greater social disparities are not as likely to access health care or participate in research ; our results are likely biased because of the difficulties of including diverse participants. Third, we had multiple surveys that represented response burdens to some participants who continued in the program (but did not complete the forms).…”

Neighborhood Influences on Seasonal Influenza Vaccination among Older African Americans in Atlanta, Georgia

“…The data were collected from a cohort of 221 African Americans recruited in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia [34]. Our methods for recruitment have been previously reported [35].…”

“…Our methods for recruitment have been previously reported [35]. For this study, we included all persons who met the inclusion criteria including being black/African American over the age of 50 years and an attendee of one of six Atlanta-area African American churches used for recruitment.…”

Mistrust of Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Trials Research

“…14,34,35 Researchers have taken into account religiosity and its role in the racial/ethnic communities and have included religious institutions as effective venues for health-based programs and clinical trials enrollment. 41,42 However, it is important to consider religious institutions not only as means to encouraging clinical trials participation, but also as trusted sources for disseminating general health information. Encouraging religious institutions and leaders to understand the importance of health promotion may increase the likelihood of researchers gaining community acceptance and breaking down mistrust.…”