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

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 clinical trial participation and the role of the clinician in offering research as an option and connecting patients with relevant opportunities.
• Identify resources for connecting patients with open trials, educating them about research, and for building capacity and infrastructure to support research as a care option/compliment.
• Distinguish the issues around population disparity in trial participation and possible strategies to mitigate the phenomenon.
• Describe the trial recruitment process, various strategies utilized for trial recruitment, and identify strategies that are feasible to incorporate for individual providers/clinics/staff structures.