Increasing Diversity in Clinical Research Participants

Research Highlights

2020-21

“Last year, the college increased collaborations across disciplines and received more federal funding for research.

While the past year and a half has been difficult, it has showed the strength of our faculty and the tireless work of our researchers to improve nursing care through scientific discoveries.”

Carmen Giurgescu Associate Dean for Research Chatlos Foundation Endowed Chair

NEW RESEARCH FUNDING

$2.69M $3.65M

$1.6M

’18-’19 ’19-’20 ’20-’21

STUDY

Increasing Diversity in Clinical Research Participants

UCF part of a $2 million, three-year statewide effort

Different people have different responses to treatments. That’s why there are national mandates to include racial and ethnic minorities in clinical research to ensure that the results are applicable in the real world.

However, a lack of diversity in clinical research persists. “The challenge for researchers today is the limited recruitment and enrollment of racial and ethnic minorities,” said Professor Donna Felber Neff, a co-principal investigator on the Florida Registry for Aging Studies. The project, which is funded by the National Institute on Aging, a division of the National Institutes of Health, is a first-of-its-kind project helping to address the issue.

Culturally diverse older Americans experience a higher rate of chronic disease and health conditions compared to white older Americans. “It is an important public health priority as a gap in knowledge prevents best evidence-based treatments for African American, Latino and Hispanic, and Caribbean older adults who are the fastest growing segment of the population in Florida,” Neff said.

To address this, a group of researchers from universities across Florida, including Neff, are seeking to create a statewide registry of culturally diverse older adults ready to participate in clinical research studies. “We want to ensure clinical research in Florida is representative of our population, and therefore, the results can help improve the health and wellbeing of all races and ethnicities,” added Neff.

As part of the project, the researchers are examining intergenerational influence – the influence of one generation on another for attitudes, values and behaviors – to recruit and enroll the participants. Oftentimes, culturally diverse older adults consult family members when making healthcare treatment decisions.

Using the insights gained from focus groups and surveys on intergenerational influence, the researchers will create a marketing communications plan to increase awareness and willingness to participate in research opportunities. At the completion of the three-year project, the group expects to have a registry of more than 3,000 culturally diverse adults ages 65 and older.