![]() We must also consider factors like socio-economic groups, sex, gender, age, and career stage. “And as we touched on in our paper, diversity isn't just racial and ethnic diversity. “Diversity is everyone's responsibility,” emphasized Ms. While DRIVE is currently a vision for the future of clinical cancer research, authors voiced that with publicity and outreach, it can begin to have real-world effects. Birhiray “We want people to know that medicine is a field open to everyone and that our community values them.” “It’s important to communicate that tangible things are being done to make medicine more applicable to everyone,” said Ms. Through the article, they hope to bring together medical societies in cancer care and establish a set of policies that can make DRIVE a reality and an industry standard. They have also begun writing a piece they refer to as a Black Paper: a white paper focused on creating representation of marginalized identities in cancer research. In the next few months, they plan to host a summit surrounding the Indy Hematology Education, Inc. Going forward the Birhirays intend to focus their outreach strategies on advocacy. Informed, care providers will practice with a greater intention to provide their patients with superior, more individualized treatment. The authors describe that the action items outlined in the initiative value creating long-term permanent shifts in behavior, and enacting DRIVE will have a ripple effect on medical research, education, and treatment. If you have a limited number of podium presentations, and we require you to prioritize the presentation of studies that represent everyone, I think it will force our research community to innovate.” Beyond study ranking, we also know the value of scientific presentations in the research field. No one wants their study to have a low ranking. “We live in a country where everybody wants to win, and keeping score motivates people. “We believe that ranking can change the way researchers behave,” said Dr. Birhiray emphasized the “R” in DRIVE, which he explained is the idea of ranking clinical trials based on how diverse their patient populations are. Additionally, DRIVE strategies were pulled from existing guidelines, including the American Association for Cancer Research recommendations for myeloma clinical research, and real-world examples from other fields, such as an economic rating index used by the World Bank to influence global regulatory policy.ĭr. I: Individual diversity, equity, inclusion, and access planĮ: Elevate and enhance training of minority investigators and research team membersĮach element of DRIVE was informed by previous research for example, the recommendation to include a diversity officer in trials is modeled on existing recommendations for safety and monitoring boards to oversee all major studies. R: Ranking of clinical studies for diversity They communicate this five-step approach using the acronym DRIVE:ĭ: Diversity officer for clinical research studies Birhiray and his daughter, Maya Birhiray, BS, Purdue University, developed a novel strategy to increase inclusion in clinical trials through their nonprofit organization, Indy Hematology Education, Inc. They are actions that are within our immediate reach,” said study author Ruemu Birhiray, MD, a clinical oncologist at the Hematology Oncology of Indiana Division of the American Oncology Network.įrustrated by the lack of inclusion of minorities in cancer research, Dr. “There are things we can do today that can change the trajectory of minority patient inclusion in clinical trials that do not require legislation. Further, since many people with cancer diagnoses receive treatments from clinical trials, the lack of racial representation in clinical trials affects patient outcomes as well. And the gaps are not just present in health care but also in scientific research, which can yield misleading or ungeneralizable results when studies fail to include diverse patient populations. Racial disparities persist in cancer care due to systemic inequities and structural racism in housing, education, employment, and the criminal justice system. The study highlights significant racial disparities in cancer research, citing that between 20, only 7.8% of clinical trials documented the four major races (including white, Asian, Black, and Hispanic populations) in the United States. 25, 2022) – A new study published today in Blood Advances outlines practical strategies for promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in cancer clinical research.
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