This team from the University of Chicago will focus on enhancing diversity in early phase clinical trials in an urban underserved community, namely Chicago’s Southside and a community hospital within the health system that serves a predominantly Black patient base. The team’s randomized trial will determine if employing new methods of patient outreach, with or without engagement of a community ambassador, enhances clinical trial enrollment above and beyond outreach to the treating physician alone. Led by Walter Stadler, MD, and co-led by Briseis Aschebrook-Kilfoy, PhD, the team will identify potential trial patients through a method utilizing the electronic health record, and then inform the treating physician of possible trial eligibility prior to the patient’s visit. Patients in various outreach groups will receive a variety of digital communications such as electronic health record messaging, email and text messaging informing them about clinical trials and the trial process before and after their physician visit. Physicians for these patients will also receive training on culturally appropriate communication. Certain patients participating in the study will additionally be given the opportunity to connect with community ambassadors from established community-based organizations already working with the team. The goal of the study is to identify which mix of patient outreach and communication works best, build upon established community relationships, and triple diverse participant clinical trial enrollment.
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