Gaining Insights into Clinical Trial Recruitment Engaging Underserved Communities. Perspectives from Investigators, Research Coordinators, and a Community Advisory Panel

The underrepresentation of minority populations in clinical research has long been a concern, with implications for health equity and the generalizability of research findings.Legislative and regulatory efforts have aimed to address this issue, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity in clinical trials.In the Los Angeles Area, the COVID-19 Vaccine and Prevention Network (CoVPN) conducted three phase three COVID vaccine trials.One trial was the Phase 3 Covid-19 AZD1222 (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) Vaccine trial by The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (Lundquist Institute).This was done in collaboration with a community consultant panel (CCP) which led to adjustments in recruitment strategies, and outreach initiatives to increase minority participation. 1 After completion of COVID vaccine trials we further investigated factors affecting minority participation in clinical research.We surveyed three involved stakeholder groups at The Lundquist Institute: infectious disease investigators, clinical research staff, and an HIV community advisory board (CAB) made up of 20 individual representatives of the local community, predominantly those of color.Our survey gathered perspectives on key factors influencing minority participation to provide actionable priority based recommendations This study highlights the multifaceted nature of barriers to enrollment of diverse participants in clinical research and provides unique insights offered by stakeholder groups and the CAB.These emphasized logistical, transportation, and knowledgerelated factors.The CAB's unique prioritization of these factors also underscores the significance of involving community representatives in the clinical trial recruitment process.