New York, New York, Aug. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Among some of the most harmful neglects of society is the healthcare landscape. While access to adequate healthcare, treatment, and diagnoses is a basic human right, statistics regarding clinical trials paint a different picture, showcasing some glaring gaps in the industry. Despite colorful DEI campaigns seen worldwide, clinical trials are still massively biased, with the enrollment median placed at 80% for white people. Moreover, a staggering one in ten trials reported 100% white enrollees. Multicultural Healthcare Marketing Group (MHMG) is addressing this historic issue by building racially inclusive medical environments that spearhead medicines safe for patients of all backgrounds.

For People of Color, that landscape looks drastically different, with the median enrollment between 2000 and 2020 at 6% for Hispanic citizens, 1% for Asians, and 0% for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN), exhibiting a significant gap between their share of the population. Though for Black people, at 14% of the US population, the average clinical trial enrollment rate is drastically lower than their US population percentage, 21% of trials reported zero Black enrollees. 

With research supporting the theory that drugs, vaccines, and treatments affect specific races and ethnic groups differently, the lack of racial diversity in clinical trials poses a critical threat to the well-being of all patients. Chronic disease prevalence statistics showcase an already striking disparity—compared to 11% for white people, diabetes rates are at 18% for AIAN, 16% for Black, and 13% for Hispanic adults. 

On the other hand, white people (8%) are more likely to have a heart attack than Black, NHPI, Hispanic, and Asian citizens; for heart disease, AIAN people are at the highest risk at 11%. These numbers emphasize the need for extensive research that educates the medical industry on the ethnic and racial differences in human genetics, ultimately striving for a world where everyone receives appropriate personalized treatments and can make informed decisions about their health. 

On a mission to foster genuinely inclusive and diverse healthcare and clinical trial environments, Sheila Thorne, a trusted voice in the industry, a catalyst of change, and the founder of the Multicultural Healthcare Marketing Group (MHMG), dedicated her career to improving healthcare and serving marginalized communities. “Clinical research is the foundation for the practice for evidence-based medicine,” stresses Sheila. “If we neglect racial disparities, there is no supporting data that proves a drug’s safety and efficacy for all patients.”

Sheila Thorne, selecting photos with Dr. Glenn, for distribution of community health information

Beyond legal compliance and potential marketing issues, racial disparities in clinical trials may result in a lack of knowledge of side effects in certain populations. To illustrate her point, Sheila alludes to genetic differences between Asians and other ethnicities, “Asian people are often smaller in stature than that of their white, Black, AIAN, and other citizens. Asian patients may feel that large pills would be too powerful for them, thereby affecting compliance. This issue highlights the importance of having a personalized approach in drug development.”

During her over 25 years of experience, Sheila has identified the struggles obstructing progress. As she emphasizes, contrary to a common misconception, it’s not governments that require a mindset change, with the FDA having made its pro-diversity attitude clear multiple times, even declaring 2016 as the ‘Year of Clinical Trials Diversity.’ Despite the FDA’s efforts, most clinical trials are funded by private pharmaceutical companies; for instance, nearly 80% of cancer research resources in 2021 came from the private sector. 

“Racial inclusivity in clinical trials is not about philanthropy—it’s purely about good science. Without this data, the medical field can’t genuinely say it has done its due diligence,” Sheila elucidates. “What we need is for companies to be accountable to the end user of their products and do what research is supposed to do.”

While the lack of culturally inclusive initiatives from pharmaceutical companies is the most prominent issue, common misconceptions created by failed past experiments, such as the Tuskegee syphilis study, and misinformation fuel the problem, discouraging People of Color from participating in clinical research. As a long-term solution, Sheila proposes global education and training on how to reach skeptical ethnic groups with marketing strategies and improving current clinical trial recruitment.

Striving for a better future, Sheila fulfills that mission at Multicultural Healthcare Marketing Group, leveraging her expertise and her team’s profound understanding gained through first-hand experiences. “The ultimate goal is to build trust, educate communities, and improve the quality of treatment,” adds Sheila. “Without diverse clinical research, you can’t make adequate and truthful claims about medical products. Extrapolating data from one ethnic segment can lead to health and life risks, and, as research shows, People of Color are currently paying the price. As for the future, I’m optimistic. But the battle is far from over, and now it’s our time to raise awareness, improve clinical trials, and disrupt healthcare.”

Media Contact

Name: Raphael Judkins

Email: rjudkinsmhmg@outlook.com