Abstract LB-052: Using community team science: An advocacy engaged approach to recruit ethnic minorities in cancer research

Abstract

The inclusion of medically vulnerable population in research is required to improve population health. Ethnic Minorities are among the most medically underserved, and represent 40% of the US population. Hence, ethnic minority inclusion in biomedical research is essential to ensure optimal applicability and benefit of medical advancements. Informed by the Community Health Educator (CHE) program of the NCI-CRCHD and charged by our Cancer Center goal to reduce the burden of cancer within our Catchment area communities, we created and tested our Partnered for Inclusion and Access in Research (PAIR) model to increase community responsiveness and minority participation in our research. First, using a team science community engaged approach, our research institute – including basic, translational, clinical and population researchers – aligned with our clinical care, hospital component to form a common Community Advisory Council (CAC). The CAC enhances the integrated representation of the community’s voice within our research and practice. Our CAC, therefore, serves as a resource in reaching other community advisors for targeted research and community benefit programs. For example, our CAC facilitated the inclusion of African American, Chinese and Latino communities for our U01 project investigating breast cancer and the environment. Secondly, in collaboration with community partners including ACS, we are training community research navigators to broaden our reach, and increase community capacity to engage with researchers and participate in research, as well as address their pressing health concerns. Thirdly, we created a culturally and linguistically tailored brief video promoting Latino participation in clinical trials (CT), biospecimen studies (BB) and population research. This video is used in combination with direct referral to a research study with the intent of increasing awareness, acceptability, access and participation of Latinos in CT, BB and population research. Our report focusing on a BB study with Latinas, show that, to date a total of 372 women were accrued resulting in an 88% BB enrollment. Therefore, our community engaged, culturally and linguistically appropriate PAIR model demonstrates utility and effectiveness in engaging ethnic minorities and in particular Latinos in biomedical research. Future plans include continued, expanded face-to-face and technology platform dissemination of PAIR.

Citation Format: Kimlin Ashing, Mayra Serrano, Steve Rosen, Marisela Huerta, Katty Nerio, Alejandro Fernandez, Lisa Dowd, Phyllis Clark, Lucy Young, Mary Ann Van Duyen, Precilla Belin. Using community team science: An advocacy engaged approach to recruit ethnic minorities in cancer research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-052. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-052