Gaps in data can lead to the routine use of unsafe or ineffective treatments in some patients leading to health disparities. It can also contribute to unnecessary or inappropriate expenditures that impacts us all.
Lack of clinical trial diversity can also mean clinical researchers are denied valuable insights gained from observations and exploration of variations in patient responses. Such observations can contribute to better overall disease understanding and better treatment strategies that benefit all patients and bring us one step closer to the goal of precision medicine.
Not every physician can be a clinical trial investigator, but every physician can be a resource for the patients who trust them
SMA is dedicated to offering patients the clinical trial information they can use from people they can trust in language they can understand! Low clinical trial participation is often linked to mistrust and lack of access to information. We believe trust and understanding of trial processes—and, in turn, stronger participation—can best be achieved by more effectively sharing unbiased information about trials, their purpose, and their protections.
Most patients prefer to receive information about clinical trials from a trusted physician.¹ SMA deploys programs to assist physician-caregivers with understanding of treatment innovations and clinical trial processes and protections allowing them to contribute to better care of the patients who trust them.
By empowering trusted physicians for multiple roles, we improve their community engagement support, and their awareness and use of innovations to ensure that all patients are adequately represented, and their diverse health needs are effectively addressed.
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Source: A Research!America survey of U.S. adults conducted in partnership with the ACRO and Zogby Analytics in October 2023.