[by: Carissa McCall, BS]
In today’s world, we are surrounded by the need for diversity in all settings. One place where diversity should not be overlooked is in clinical trials. The reality is that medical conditions don’t discriminate. Medical diseases and conditions may affect all people differently, but they still can affect anyone. For this reason, it is crucial for clinical trials to have an accurate representation of all ages, genders, races, and ethnicities, as applicable to the study protocol.
So, you may be wondering how to reach diverse populations when advertising. There are many strategies that can be implemented, but we put together a list of a few of our tried and true strategies for finding diverse applicants for clinical trial recruitment.
Run ads in other languages
Facebook gives you the option to run your ads in other languages, targeting people who speak that language. This is great when trying to reach the Hispanic population in particular. Of course, if you are reaching out to bilingual speakers, you need to make sure someone at your site is able to take those calls as well.
Include diverse imagery
Consider using stock photos that are representative of different ethnicities. This is a simple fix when creating diverse advertising materials. This shows potential applicants that you do want all people of all backgrounds to consider participating.
Zipcode targeting
Identifying zip codes with diverse demographics may take some time and research, but it can be really helpful when trying to reach underserved or hard-to-reach participants.
Publications with a particular demographic reach
Consider running ads in publications such as newspapers and magazines that primarily focus on one demographic. Request a media kit from the publication to see how many people they can reach and what demographics they are most likely to reach.
COVID-19 trials are one example of the need for diversity in clinical trials. COVID-19 has impacted many people in underserved populations. Ethnic diversity in trials can improve results and ensure quality data. At the end of the day, treatment options need to be representative of all people.
Need help reaching diverse populations at your site or practice? We’ve got a team for that. Call us today at (866) YES-BLOOM (2566) or contact us here.
