Abstract A39: GMaP Region 4 clinical trials outreach for Latinos
Authors: Treviño-Whitaker Rose A. , Ramirez Amelie G. , Gallion Kipling , O'Connell Mary 
Published: October 2015

Background: One of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) Transdisciplinary Geographical Management of Cancer Health Disparities Program (GMAP) focuses is to connect underrepresented communities with research, training and outreach efforts. GMaP Region 4 composed of 9 states (Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas Utah and Wyoming), developed Clinical Trials Outreach for Latinos (CTOL) and educational module to help close the gap of clinical trial and biospecimen information within our minority community. Although clinical trials are operational in some of our sites, the overall number of eligible clinical trial participants per site is much higher than the number of actual participants in clinical trials. Drawing on the Region 4 Implementation Plan, which identified the need for CT accrual especially among low income English- and Spanish-speaking Latinos, we developed an intervention to test a CT education and outreach project in at least five different sites in Region 4.

CTOL Program Purpose:

Increase Latinos' informed decision-making about joining clinical trials and donating biospecimens.Highlight the importance of participating in trials and donating biospecimens.Discuss risks and benefits of participation in trials and donating biospecimens.Provide resources for available local and national trials and biobanks.

Methodology: The CTOL involved the design and testing of a pilot CT education program through focus groups to implementation of the module. The project coordinator/health educator identified community organizations to the introduce CTOL and arranged for the educational sessions. The outreach strategy was to conduct a 20 to 30 minute session “piggy backed” into regularly scheduled group meetings. Prior to the presentation participants were asked to provide demographic information in a sign-in sheet. The presentations contained 4 pre-evaluation questions in which participants were asked to raise their hand if they agreed with the statement. After the session, participants asked questions and then answered several post-evaluation questions.

Results: Seventy-two education sessions were conducted at five sites: 1) The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, 2) New Mexico State University, 3) University of Arizona Cancer Center, 4) Good Samaritan Hospital (NE), and 5) Penrose Cancer Center (CO). The GMaP program in Region 4 included over 1200 participants in 12 different cities in 5 states (AZ, CO, NE, NM, and TX). Participants represented 155 different zip codes with the majority being Hispanic white females. At the beginning of the sessions, about 60% had heard about clinical trials however not many people really understood how they worked (33%) and fewer people neither understood nor knew about biospecimens or biobanks (17%). At the end of the sessions most participants gained knowledge about clinical trials and biospecimens with most post questions receiving over 80% “yes” responses. Sixty percent indicated they would be interested in future participation in clinical trials and biospecimen collection.

Conclusions: Tailoring the form, content and delivery of education materials to an intended audience are essential for an effective program or intervention. We found that participants were not very informed about clinical trials or biospecimens but indicated that their knowledge and attitudes towards these issues increased or improved after exposure to our CTOL. Based on our findings we continued to refine the program and created “The Clinical Trials Outreach for Latinos: Program Replication Manual”, which we believe could assist other communities and stakeholders to disseminate this information and program in their own communities.

Citation Format: Rose A. Treviño-Whitaker, Amelie G. Ramirez, Kipling Gallion, Mary O'Connell. GMaP Region 4 clinical trials outreach for Latinos. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Seventh AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 9-12, 2014; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015;24(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A39.