Abstract A054: Leveraging the power of Hope Leaders for enhancing diversity in clinical trials via a bi-directional cancer health information model
Authors: Dufraine Joseph , Molina Yamile , Gonzalez Jeanette , Olivero Maria , Mobley Theresa , Lofton Saria , Reis Dedra 
Published: December 2023

Introduction: Despite increasing recognition of the need for diversity in clinical trials, participation from racial and ethnic minorities, particularly from low socioeconomic communities, remains dismally low. This underrepresentation hinders the generalizability of trial results and perpetuates health disparities. Low socioeconomic environments, characterized by economic instability, restricted healthcare access, food scarcity, and deficient educational resources, exacerbate these challenges. Residents of such communities often lean on "Hope Leaders" - trusted community figures - as a strategy to navigate through these adversities. Recognizing the pivotal role of these Hope Leaders, we advocate for a community-centered bi-directional cancer health information flow model, which positions these Leaders at the core of community engagement endeavors. This model fosters a bi-directional health information exchange that synergizes Hope Leaders with the scientific community, thereby promoting improved health equity within clinical intervention research. The implementation of this model commences with a pre-engagement phase, a respectful approach where we familiarize ourselves with the community and its dynamics, without imposing any specific demands or expectations. Approach: The University of Illinois Cancer Center has had 6 community engagement specialists that have engaged with community members through numerous pre-engagement events that encompass activities ranging from mental health, cancer prevention, survivorship events, education, health fairs and community meetings. Based on these insights, we established a dedicated working group to identify hope leaders and to create targeted engagement strategies for specific areas of our catchment region through the bi-directional cancer health information flow model. These strategies are tailored to address the unique challenges and barriers these communities face regarding enrollment in cancer clinical trials. Additionally, the community-driven health communication model was implemented to identify Hope Leaders and engage them with cancer researchers as a part of our phase I activities for this model.  Conclusion: This innovative approach aims to leverage the unique position of Hope Leaders in underserved communities to amplify community voices, improve engagement, and ultimately, increase minority representation in cancer clinical trials. The model provides a promising strategy to address the persistent disparity in clinical trial participation, facilitating more equitable and inclusive research outcomes.

Citation Format: Joseph Dufraine, Yamile Molina, Jeanette Gonzalez, Maria Olivero, Theresa Mobley, Saria Lofton, Dedra Reis. Leveraging the power of Hope Leaders for enhancing diversity in clinical trials via a bi-directional cancer health information model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A054.