Grady Joins Pilot to Increase Diversity in Cancer Trials

Grady Health System was invited to participate in a national Pilot Project being conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC). The pilot project is testing a research site self-assessment tool and an implicit bias training program focused on increasing racial and ethnic diversity among cancer treatment trial participants.

The joint ASCO-ACCC initiative was designed to identify and implement novel strategies and practical solutions to increase cancer treatment trial participation among patients from racial and ethnic minority communities, which continue to be under-represented in cancer research when compared with their percentages in the overall population of patients with cancer.

Grady will be testing (self-assessment tool pilot study/the implicit bias training program pilot study/both the self-assessment tool and implicit bias training) and will provide feedback to ASCO and ACCC about the feasibility and utility of the resources and training.

Grady became involved in the initiative to help identify research site factors, such as policies, procedures, programs, and infrastructure, that may be impacting which patients are screened for and offered a cancer treatment trial, as well as factors impacting patient participation and retention.

Data collection for the pilot project will conclude in December 2021. ASCO and ACCC aim to roll out an updated implicit bias training program and site-self assessment tool to the larger oncology community in late spring 2022.

To learn more about the collaboration, visit ASCO.org/asco-accc.