Community health workers in New York receive training in clinical research

Training for community health workers (CHWs) often omits culturally capable training in the basics of clinical research. Researchers from the New York CEAL Regional Team set out to address this knowledge gap in an article published in Frontiers in Pharmacology.

CHWs, along with clinical research faculty and staff, participated in interviews and focus groups to develop training needs and the best way to deliver this information. The team then created a 28-module online training program covering topics such as clinical research basics, research design and ethics, diversity and equity in research, and barriers to participation in clinical research.

"The future of the clinical research workforce relies on research-trained CHWs, as they are integral to our mission of increasing the diversity of research professionals, decentralizing research, and ensuring that underserved populations have access." Frontiers in Pharmacology, December 2023

This training equips CHWs with the information they need to address misconceptions and champion clinical research among underserved communities so that everyone can access the care that comes with clinical research. Including clinical research as part of CHW training also offers a feedback loop between researchers and CHWs and potentially paves the way for expanding the clinical research workforce by incorporating CHWs into research teams.

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