Improving awareness in heart disease through community engagement

Picture of Ash Rishi

Ash Rishi

September 26, 2024

Snapshot

A biotech company commissioned COUCH Health to increase the engagement of African Americans in their clinical trial for a novel heart disease drug.

The company wanted to ensure its clinical trials were inclusive and representative, particularly focusing on increasing African American participation to reflect the population’s higher prevalence of heart disease.

Problem

The sponsor had previously struggled with low participation rates among African Americans in their community engagement and outreach efforts. This underrepresentation risked the validity of any future study outcomes for this critical demographic and could potentially delay the drug approval process.

Strategy

COUCH Health initiated the following strategy with the aim of improving African American participation in the clinical study:

1. Local partnerships
Partnered with federally qualified health centres (FQHCs) that served predominantly African American communities, providing a trusted environment for recruitment.

2. Tailored communication
Developed and disseminated culturally sensitive educational materials and campaigns with input from community leaders who shared their insights into culturally relevant outreach.

3. Community-based research (CBPR)
Involved community members in the design and implementation of the engagement strategy, ensuring all communication was culturally relevant and aligned with community needs.

4. Support services
Provided flexible scheduling, incentives, and follow-up care to reduce barriers to participation and help support ongoing study engagement.

Results

The targeted strategy led to an increase in engagement among African American participants from 7% to 18% within six months.

233,246 African Americans engaged with the clinical study, significantly improving the clinical study’s diversity and representation.

This successful engagement enhanced the credibility of the Sponsor’s research and positioned them as a leader in addressing health disparities through ensuring inclusive communications.

The robust data from a diverse and representative study population facilitated an efficient FDA approval process for the novel heart disease drug.

Download the case study here >

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