Needs, Priorities, and Recommendations for Engaging Underrepresented Populations in Clinical Research: A Community Perspective

TLDR

Engaging underrepresented groups in outcomes research is a public health priority to reduce disparities, yet it remains challenging and its absence worsens inequities. This article outlines the health and research priorities, participation concerns, and engagement strategies of diverse underrepresented populations in biomedical research. The authors conducted eleven community listening sessions with 117 participants from minority, economically disadvantaged, and hearing‑impaired communities and used inductive qualitative content analysis to identify emerging themes. Participants highlighted uncertainties about research participation, ineffective communication, a priority for primary‑care and prevention studies, and a need for research teams to receive cultural‑competence and humility training, suggesting that addressing these issues could enhance participation, reduce disparities, and improve quality of life.

Abstract

Engaging underrepresented groups in outcomes research is a public health priority for reducing health and health care disparities; yet, engaging these groups is challenging. Failure to involve these underrepresented populations in research further exacerbates these disparities. This article presents the health and research priorities of diverse groups of underrepresented populations in biomedical research, their concerns for participating in research, and strategies to engage them in their healthcare and research studies. Eleven community listening sessions, ranging from 7 to 13 community members each (N = 117), representing racial/ethnic minority, economically disadvantaged (e.g., uninsured), and hearing impaired communities. We used an inductive, qualitative content analysis approach to analyze the data for emerging themes. We identified the following themes: Uncertainties of underrepresented populations regarding research participation; Ineffective communication about research opportunities and research findings; Research on primary care and prevention are priorities for underrepresented populations in research; and Research teams need training in cultural competence and humility. Underrepresented groups provided research priorities, concerns, and strategies to engage them in their healthcare and in research studies. Findings from this study could facilitate improvement of research participation among underrepresented groups, ultimately reducing health disparities and improving quality of life among groups commonly omitted from research recruitment and participation.