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The importance of diversity in clinical trials for hepatitis C

The importance of diversity in clinical trials for hepatitis C
Aja McCutchen, MD, does a deep dive into why hepatitis C seems to disproportionately affect Black people. She explains the importance of diversity in clinical trials due to genetic, metabolic, social, economic, and cultural factors.
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      Updated on October 23, 2024

      Diversity is important in clinical trials due to genetic, metabolic, social, economic, and cultural factors that contribute to disease outcomes.

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      Transcript

      00:00
      Hey, Dr. McCutchen. Hepatitis C seems to disproportionately affect Black people. Why is that?
      00:06
      That's actually a really great question. Let's take a deeper dive. [MUSIC PLAYING]
      00:19
      Clinical trials help medical professionals find safe and effective treatments for people with certain diseases.
      00:26
      Participants in these trials should accurately represent the population of those most affected by whatever
      00:32
      the disease is being studied. Meaning if a certain gender, age, or ethnicity group
      00:38
      is disproportionately affected by a certain disease, then a clinical trial should accurately represent that population in order
      00:46
      to obtain the most accurate data. For example, hepatitis C disproportionately affects African-Americans in the United States.
      00:54
      You think that this would mean that in clinical trials for hepatitis C treatments a majority of the participants
      01:01
      would be African-American. However, that is not the case. The FDA has recommended racial and ethnic data
      01:08
      be collected for all clinical trials, but it's not a requirement. A recent study of hepatitis C clinical trials
      01:14
      that did report race found that only about 13% of participants were African-American. If reporting race data becomes a requirement,
      01:23
      appropriate measures can be taken to make sure those who need to participate in the trials the most are represented.
      01:30
      Race is important in clinical trials due to the genetic, metabolic, social, economic, and cultural factors that
      01:36
      contribute to disease outcomes. Treatment isn't one-size fits all, and without this data, it can make treating certain populations more
      01:44
      difficult and less accurate. Factors that can contribute to lack of diversity in clinical trials are the lack of insurance,
      01:53
      which would exclude people from participating in certain clinical trials, limited flexibility at work
      01:59
      to participate, trial sites are not easily accessible, and the lack of awareness and information
      02:05
      about the clinical trials. Recruiting people for clinical trials may be difficult when reaching out to certain communities. African-Americans may be hesitant to participate
      02:13
      in clinical trials due to the systemic racism that still plagues our country. It is important to rebuild trust in minority communities
      02:21
      so that they can be properly cared for. Diversity in clinical trials means that new drugs and treatments can be more safe and effective

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