The importance of Diversity in Clinical Trials

A recent article in News-Medical by Storay Amiri, MPharm, discusses the importance of diversity in clinical testing worldwide. Such studies are required to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of new medical products and interventions in real life populations, with different backgrounds, genders, races, and ages. However, in practice there seems to be a misrepresentation of the population in clinical trials in these aspects.

There is a multitude of reasons study bias is often observed and there seems to be no quick answer. These include specific eligibility criteria, lack of trust within the different study populations, time requirement and resources, etc. Addressing these issues can however a way to increase participation of a more diverse population in clinical trials, especially regarding diseases that affect minorities disproportionately. This also requires on public policy level clearer and stricter guidelines regarding the demographics of the study participants.

Check out the original article:
https://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/Why-is-Diversity-Critical-for-Clinical-Trials.aspx