Vanderbilt University Medical Center is partnering with Yale School of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and the Research Centers in Minority Institutions Coordinating Center (RCMI CC) at the Morehouse School of Medicine in an initiative aimed at increasing diversity in clinical trials and addressing systemic barriers to participation by communities of color.
The Equitable Breakthroughs in Medicine Development (EQBMED) partnership is an industry-wide, community-based effort created to enhance clinical trial diversity through the development and support of a network of clinical trial sites in underserved areas. EQBMED is unique because it brings together pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions, subject matter experts, providers and community leaders.
“To ensure that clinical trial results are relevant and applicable across diverse populations, we must find new ways to ethically and effectively improve participation by people from diverse backgrounds,” said principal investigator Peter Embí, MD, MS, chair of Biomedical Informatics, professor of Medicine and Senior Vice-President for Research and Innovation at VUMC. “At VUMC, we are focused on advancing personalized health care for everyone and enabling equitable participation in clinical trials is essential to that mission.”