Efforts to recruit the economically disadvantaged to national clinical trials.
Clinical trials are vital for the development of state-of-the-art cancer prevention and treatment. A goal for trial recruitment should be to have a representative sample of the total population by gender, race, culture, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status as appropriate. Increased sensitivity to the unique barriers and access to care issues required to achieve a representative sample are necessary. Knowledge and understanding of recruitment problems and strategies to resolve them are developing; however, much more is needed before we can fully address and resolve all of the relevant issues. Nurses have a key role in identification, education, and recruitment of special populations including the SED to clinical trials.
McCabe
M S
MS
Community Oncology and Rehabilitation Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Varricchio
C G
CG
Padberg
R M
RM
D000329:Advertising / Q000379:methods; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011203:Poverty