North Carolina Cancer Challenge 2020: Improving Enrollment into Cancer Clinical Trials

Emily Olsson, CCRP

Program Manager
Research Recruitment and Retention
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
UNC School of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Alicia Bilheimer, MPH

Administrative Director
CARES (Community Engagement)
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
UNC School of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Lecture Description

This lecture is an interactive presentation and discussion to consider barriers to cancer clinical trial enrollment in North Carolina and potential approaches to address this. Topics will include the importance of patient and provider engagement, education and resources for identifying research opportunities and available trials, barriers and mitigation strategies to address population disparities in trial enrollment, and other issues. This session aims to provide information and strategies on participant recruitment, allowing individual study teams and/or clinicians from across the state to determine how research best fits into their individual models and how to present research participation as an option to all patients.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the importance of the clinician to patient awareness and acceptance of clinical trial participation
• Describe the trial recruitment process
• Identify feasible engagement strategies for non-research clinicians to incorporate into practice
• Identify resources for connecting patients to research education or trial opportunities
• Distinguish possible strategies to mitigate the diversity disparity in research