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Evaluating a Community-Partnered Cancer Clinical Trials Pilot Intervention with African American Communities

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Abstract

Cancer clinical trial (CCT) accrual and retention rates remain disproportionately low among African Americans. Awarenesss and access to trials are crucial facilitators of trial participation. Strategies developed within a community-based participatory framework (CBPR) are potential solutions to increase awareness and access to CCTs. In this study, we describe the pilot phase of three innovative community-centered modules to improve basic CCT knowledge, awareness of locations to access CCT information, and opportunities to participate in CCTs. Four community organizations completed Community Bridges to CCT training-of-the-trainer and recruited adult African American volunteers to participate in one of three CCT education modules: a workshop about CCTs, a role play describing one person’s experience with CCTs, or a call and response session reviewing myths and facts about CCTs. Pre- and post-test surveys were collected and analyzed using McNemar agreement statistic to evaluate changes in knowledge and attitudes regarding trials. Trainers enrolled 125 participants in the call and response (n = 22), role play (n = 60), and workshop (n = 43) modules. Module participants were mostly African American, female, and with a mean age of 53 years. Comparison of pre- and post-test responses demonstrates favorable changes in awareness of CCTs and where to access CCTs across the sample. Analysis by module type indicates significant increases for participants in the call and response (p < 0.01) and role play modules (p < 0.001), but not the workshop module. Despite measures taken to increase the participation and retention rate of African Americans in clinical trials, little advancement has been made. Developing tailored community education modules on CCTs within the CBPR framework is a promising innovation to increase knowledge about CCTs and favorable attitudes about participation that are known precursors to trial enrollment.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) Community Networks Program (CNP), grant no. U01 CA114629, the National Center for Minority Health Disparities (NCMHD) grant no. P60-MD000244, and the National Center for Research Resources [salary support through a Mid-career Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research, grant no. K24HL105493.]

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. NC TraCS Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 140 North Medical Drive, CB#7064, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7064, USA

    Melissa A. Green

  2. Education Network to Advance Cancer Clinical Trials, 7625 Wisconsin Avenue Suite 300, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA

    Margo Michaels & Natasha Blakeney

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Rutledge Avenue, MSC 561, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA

    Adebowale A. Odulana

  4. Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine TraCS Community Engagement Core, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 7240, 342B MacNider Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    Malika Roman Isler & Giselle Corbie-Smith

  5. NC Community Health Leadership Roundtable, PO Box 12124, Raleigh, NC, 27605, USA

    Alan Richmond

  6. Crossworks, Inc., 1041 Noell Lane, Suite 101, Rocky Mount, NC, 27804, USA

    Debra G. Long

  7. Black Men’s Health Initiative, 822 St. Paul Road, Camden, SC, 29020, USA

    William S. Robinson

  8. Research Scientist Carolinas HealthCare System, 720 E. Morehead St., Suite 202, Charlotte, NC, 28202, USA

    Yhenneko J. Taylor

Authors
  1. Melissa A. Green
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  2. Margo Michaels
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  3. Natasha Blakeney
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  4. Adebowale A. Odulana
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  5. Malika Roman Isler
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  6. Alan Richmond
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  7. Debra G. Long
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  8. William S. Robinson
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  9. Yhenneko J. Taylor
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  10. Giselle Corbie-Smith
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Melissa A. Green.

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Green, M.A., Michaels, M., Blakeney, N. et al. Evaluating a Community-Partnered Cancer Clinical Trials Pilot Intervention with African American Communities. J Canc Educ 30, 158–166 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-014-0764-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-014-0764-1

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