World Alzheimer's Day --- how to ensure that people of diverse ethnicities are included? (Press Release 2021)

 from ALZ dot-org

The Alzheimer’s Association is leading two major clinical trials with a strong focus on diverse participation. The New IDEAS study is recruiting 2,000 Latinos and 2,000 African Americans to investigate the impact of a brain amyloid PET scan on clinical care outcomes, including diagnosis and treatment. The U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) study is a two-year clinical trial studying the effects of multi-component lifestyle interventions on risk of cognitive decline in a diverse population in the U.S.

NIA Launches Alzheimer’s Research Recruiting Materials for Under-Represented Communities
National Institute of Aging has launched a new online tool to help increase awareness and participation in clinical trials on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Called Outreach Pro (V1.0), the tool allows researchers, clinicians, clinical trial administrators and staff to create and customize outreach materials such as websites, handouts, videos and social media posts with an emphasis on reaching traditionally underrepresented communities.

Using NIA’s Outreach Pro, researchers and clinicians can make outreach materials from templates designed to:

1. Educate people about Alzheimer’s and dementia.
2. Increase overall awareness of Alzheimer’s clinical trials.
3. Provide information about a specific Alzheimer’s or dementia clinical study open to recruitment.

Each template can then be tailored using a central library of messages, headlines, photos and text that have been extensively tested with individuals, including those representing diverse and underserved populations.

The development of Outreach Pro is an integral part of NIA’s efforts to implement the National Strategy for Recruitment and Participation in Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Clinical Research. Released in 2018, the national strategy was developed with facilitation by the Alzheimer’s Association, with the goal of engaging broad segments of the public in Alzheimer’s and dementia research, with a particular focus on underrepresented communities.

“It is critical that clinical trials have appropriate representation to ensure that we have a complete understanding of how well different therapies or approaches to dementia care work in different populations,” said Holly Massett, Ph.D., Senior Advisor on Clinical Research Recruitment and Engagement at NIA, who oversees the implementation of the national strategy. “Outreach Pro was designed to provide well-tested and culturally appropriate outreach materials that resonate with diverse populations and encourage them to participate in clinical trials.”

Outreach Pro’s current library of content includes materials designed specifically for African American and Hispanic/Latino populations and is available in English and Spanish. Plans are underway to add materials developed for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in multiple languages by Fall 2021, and materials for American Indian and Alaska Native communities to be developed and added in 2022.