Community Engagement: Lessons Learned From the AAASPS and SDBA

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Clinical Trials
• Public Health

Background:

• Community engagement is crucial for overcoming healthcare delivery challenges.
• Recruiting underrepresented populations into clinical trials presents significant hurdles.
• Past research has faced difficulties in engaging Black communities in health studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review community engagement strategies used in the African-American Antiplatelet Stroke Prevention Study (AAASPS) and Studies of Dementia in the Black Aged (SDBA).
• To highlight the successful recruitment and retention of an underrepresented community in clinical and observational studies.
• To share lessons learned for future research involving minority populations.

Main Methods:

• Home visits to bring studies directly into the community.
• Engagement with churches, community advisors, and major Black community organizations.
• Collaboration with community physicians and other healthcare providers.
• Utilization of diversity training for study staff.

Main Results:

• Community engagement strategies were integral to the success of AAASPS and SDBA.
• These methods ensured effective recruitment and retention of Black participants.
• The studies dispelled myths regarding the inability to recruit Black individuals into large-scale clinical trials.

Conclusions:

• Community engagement is vital for the successful inclusion of underrepresented groups in health research.
• Adequate statistical power is essential when studying minority populations.
• Foundational recruitment and retention methods were established for future research endeavors.