The Clinical Research Community Advisory Board Hits a High Note with Continued Engagement and Its First Project
June 29, 2021
UH Research & Education Update | June 2021
By Gelise Thomas, Clinical Trial Outreach Coordinator
In September of 2020, the University Hospitals Clinical Research Center (CRC) held the inaugural Clinical Research Community Advisory Board (CAB) meeting. Recruiting exclusively through electronic means and word-of-mouth, the CRC organized and attracted the perfect mix of engaged research allies to provide candid feedback and commentary on current research practices and future projects and initiatives (e.g., the mobile research bus). One of the main purposes of the CAB is to provide researchers with the ability to gain access to the opinions and experiences of a diverse group of community members as they develop research protocols, plan recruitment, and establish other facets of their research study or trial that could be viewed as questionable or ethically challenging in processes and/or outcomes.
The UH Clinical Research Community Advisory Board (CAB) is comprised of approximately 20 members, including community residents, past clinical research participants, UH research study staff, a government official, the founder of Black Women in Clinical Research, and the grateful daughter of a former UH clinical research participant.
The CRC plans to engage the CAB by presenting a study for feedback; asking for guidance on how to raise clinical research community awareness or effective ways to recruit diverse or special populations; and developing a framework for a novel program or needed resource with committee feedback.
During the committee’s last meeting, the CRC presented the CABs first project, the development of a patient-facing clinical research newsletter. The newsletter will serve as a channel to share clinical research education, updates, results, highlights, and events with the community.