Building Research Capacity to Enroll Spanish-Speaking Patients and Families in a Traumatic Brain Injury Transitional...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Hispanic or Latino individuals are underrepresented in US clinical trials, comprising less than 8% of samples.
• There is a critical need to increase the enrollment of Hispanic or Latino individuals in clinical research.
• Addressing disparities in research participation is essential for generalizable findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the cultural and linguistic adaptation of the BETTER traumatic brain injury (TBI) transitional care intervention.
• To ensure the intervention and its participant workbook are suitable for Spanish-speaking patients with TBI and their families.
• To enhance the engagement of diverse populations in clinical research.

Main Methods:

• Phase I involved cultural adaptation through qualitative interviews with interpreters and providers, using rapid qualitative analysis.
• Phase II focused on linguistic adaptation, including translation, cognitive user-testing, and participant feedback on the workbook.
• Intervention development was informed by ongoing input from Spanish-speaking patients and families.

Main Results:

• Ten healthcare providers and interpreters participated in Phase I, identifying themes of centering culture and enhancing intervention uptake.
• Phase II involved one workbook reviewer, with recommendations focusing on orthographic changes (25%) and avoiding non-translatable English idioms (19%).
• All participants were bilingual, with a mean age of 45.5 years, and 87.5% were female.

Conclusions:

• The cultural and linguistic adaptation of the BETTER intervention and workbook was successful.
• The methods used can serve as a model for adapting interventions for non-English speaking and minoritized research participants.
• This adaptation is crucial for increasing the engagement of diverse populations in research.