“It is well known that there are tremendous burdens and lack of community mirroring in clinical research. Studies consistently show under numbering of vulnerable groups in clinical trials.
For example, 76% of cardiovascular clinical trial participants are white even though heart disease affects all racial groups similarly. Identity differences regarding ancestral history are also underrepresented in cancer clinical trials leading to less accurate treatment recommendations. Genomic variability is also sorely lacking — for example 80% of individuals whose DNA has been sequenced are Caucasian, leading to biases in medical treatment.
Through the More in Common Alliance, efforts are being made to address these issues and promote acceptance in research to ensure better healthcare outcomes for everyone.”
Vani Nilakantan, PhD
System VP Research
CommonSpirit Health Research Institute
“The lack of community mirroring in clinical research can be attributed to various factors, including opinions against less present populations, obstacles, limited outreach to under-supported communities, and lack of access to health care. This can lead to incomplete or opinionated data, impacting the generalizability of findings and potentially resulting in treatments that are less effective for certain groups."