Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Clinical Research: A Path Toward Precision Health for Everyone.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Clinical Trials Methodology
• Health Equity

Background:

• Healthcare disparities persist due to non-representative research.
• Lack of diversity in studies yields nongeneralizable evidence.
• Suboptimal outcomes arise from evidence not applicable to diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline strategies for enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in research.
• To identify actionable steps for improving research representativeness.
• To promote the generation of generalizable evidence for better health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Implementing DEI-based goal-setting and diverse research teams.
• Enhancing community engagement for study design and outreach.
• Utilizing decentralized study procedures and innovative technology for data collection.
• Incorporating self-surveillance to identify and mitigate biases.
• Leveraging regulatory authorities' role in promoting DEI.

Main Results:

• Strategies span the entire research continuum, from design to regulatory processes.
• Proposed methods increase study participation accessibility for diverse communities.
• These approaches facilitate the creation of more generalizable clinical evidence.
• Enhanced DEI in research supports the advancement of personalized medicine.

Conclusions:

• DEI principles are essential for foundational aspects of study conduct.
• Actionable strategies can significantly improve research diversity and representativeness.
• Prioritizing DEI in research is imperative for achieving equitable health outcomes and personalized medicine.