Clinical trials provide an opportunity for patients with rare diseases to receive the very latest in health care. People of different ethnic backgrounds often respond differently to the same treatments and medications. Unfortunately, ethnically diverse patients often miss out on the opportunity to participate in clinical trials because they lack access to referrals or feel uncertain about what participation entails.

To improve this disparity, the California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation and the Network of Physician Organizations (NEPO) are working to increase minority participation in clinical studies. The “Encouraging Diversity in Clinical Trials” campaign hopes to increase clinical trial participation among California’s multi-ethnic patient populations. The campaign is part of the CMA Foundation’s ongoing commitment to raising awareness about critical health disparities and their impact on California’s underserved communities.

CMA and NEPO have developed a suite of materials – including office posters and videos – to encourage conversation between patients and physicians on the importance of diversity in clinical trials. The office posters have been translated into Spanish and have been distributed to community partners and physicians across the state. If you would like posters for your office, contact the CMA Foundation at (916) 779-6620 or staff@phcdocs.org.