Background: Participation in cancer clinical trials is low in minorities, particularly among African Americans and Latinos. Lack of awareness and knowledge regarding clinical trials are major barriers to participation.
Objective: To develop a tailored, educational program to increase awareness and understanding of cancer clinical trials.
Methods: We used an iterative, community engaged adaptation process to create culturally and linguistically appropriate content for African Americans and Latinos. We first identified an existing clinical trials education program and held a focus group with peer educators who previously delivered the program. Next we conducted 9 focus groups (4 with African Americans, 5 with Latino) (N=85) to obtain input on ways to improve the educational program. We then revised the program based on feedback. The community review board and the researcher reviewed the data summary and finalized the educational program.
Results: The key focus group findings were used to identify and integrate content related to cancer (e.g., definition, risk factors, statistics such as top cancer deaths by race and gender), clinical trials (e.g., definition, process, participation costs, and clinical trial resources). Minor changes were also in content, length (i.e., shorter), color scheme (i.e., lighter tones), and visual aids. We also developed testimonials from the African American and Latino researcher and community member perspectives on cancer clinical trial participation.
Conclusion: The tailored clinical trial educational program includes content and format deemed more appropriate and relevant to African Americans and Latinos. The new program will be delivered in community settings and compared to the untailored version to determine impact on knowledge, aware, and willingness to participate in clinical trials
