April 13, 2022 – The Society of Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) will be hosting its inaugural Diversity Site Solutions Summit on 20 May 2022 in Austin, Texas. This first ever, site-focused Diversity Summit will provide a platform for research sites and industry stakeholders to share best practices, knowledge, and experience with engaging diverse communities for more inclusive trials. The Summit is part of the SCRS Diversity Awareness Program established in 2016.
As the increased importance of recruiting diverse patient populations in clinical trials has been highlighted by industry regulators and sponsors, the need for research sites’ understanding of how to better engage diverse patient populations grows. Regulatory and sponsor directives are already starting to require inclusion of diverse populations in trials.
Diana Foster, PhD, SCRS Diversity Awareness Program Lead, shared, “It was important for us to not just begin developing resources and making assumptions on behalf of sites. We knew we needed to clearly understand the needs of sites and where there were areas for development and improvement in a way that was validated.”
With insights from patients, industry leaders, and sites, the Diversity Site Solutions Summit will feature critical and data-driven information to overcome barriers to diverse recruitment. Former Vice Admiral Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, Chairman of the Board for Total Diversity Clinical Trial Management and former US Surgeon General and member of the President’s COVID-19 task force, will be the keynote speaker.
Scholarships are available for patients and advocacy groups as well as students and research sites. Sites can also bring several members of their organization at a discounted rate.
“It’s actually a very exciting time in the area of the expansion of diverse and inclusive populations in clinical trials,” said Foster. “We are experiencing an explosion of activity that is going to change the dynamic and the way we approach clinical research as a whole.”
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