Liu, Julia J

INTRODUCTION: To assess strategies for optimizing participation of underserved minorities in a blood-based early colorectal cancer detection test study (PREEMPT CRC; NCT04369053) at a hospital serving primarily Black individuals. METHODS: Culturally sensitive, racially congruent research staff approached individuals undergoing average-risk screening colonoscopy. Consent/study procedures were synchronized with clinical appointments. Enrolled and not-enrolled patient characteristics were compared. Recruitment was compared with other study sites. RESULTS: In total, 247 of 509 eligible individuals were enrolled; most were identified as Black (88.7%). No baseline characteristics were associated with participation. Recruitment was high compared with other sites (11th centile). DISCUSSION: Recruitment barriers for Black individuals can be overcome when easy, culturally sensitive access is facilitated.

Abstract Research on the care of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients has been primarily in populations of European ancestry. However, the incidence of IBD, which comprises Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is increasing in different populations around the world. In this comprehensive review, we examine the epidemiology, clinical presentations, disease phenotypes, treatment outcomes, social determinants of health, and genetic and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of IBD in Black and Hispanic patients in the United States. To improve health equity of underserved minorities with IBD, we identified the following priority areas: access to care, accurate assessment of treatment outcomes, incorporation of Black and Hispanic patients in therapeutic clinical trials, and investigation of environmental factors that lead to the increase in disease incidence.