Qualitative Study of Health Care Professional Perspectives on Recruiting Minority Patients in Cancer Trials

Underrepresented minority (URM) patients enroll in cancer clinical trials at low rates. We studied the perspectives of health care professionals to better understand the challenges and potential facilitators of recruiting URM patients into clinical trials.

A purposeful sampling approach was utilized to recruit health care professionals and clinical research staff who recruited and cared for URM patients in a therapeutic cancer clinical trial at any Mayo Clinic site, from July 2018 through October 2021.Data were gathered using a semistructured qualitative interviews. Participants were interviewed about the challenges of recruiting URM patients into cancer clinical trials and possible strategies for improving URM patient enrollment. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis.

Of the key themes that emerged from participant interviews (n = 28), perceived barriers to recruiting URM patients into clinical trials included lack of workforce diversity, underutilization of patient navigators, ineffective community outreach and patient recruitment, restricted access to diverse patient populations, and restrictive clinical trial eligibility criteria. Other barriers reported were lack of insurance and access to care and transportation, low socioeconomic status, and mistrust of health care and research. Strategies suggested for improving the recruitment of URM patients into clinical trials included: diversifying and adding research staff, increasing and improving community outreach and advocacy, partnering with clinics closer to patients, increasing monetary and logistical support for patient participation, creating opportunities that build and enhance trust, and systematically examining and modifying clinical trial eligibility criteria.

Our findings reveal barriers that have limited URM patient inclusion in cancer clinical trials and highlight strategies to overcoming these barriers.