Recruitment and retention strategies for improving representation in clinical research: A meta-synthesis

The objective was to identify innovative strategies that may increase
recruitment and/or retention of groups less represented in chronic disease
clinical research. A systematic review was conducted. Inclusion
criteria were: (a) NIH-defined racial and ethnic minority groups and
clinical research; (b) evidence-based, clinical research recruitment
and/or retention strategies involving the leading causes of mortality and
morbidity in the United States; (c) conducted in the United States; and
(d) qualitative design. Data exploring the strategies were extracted and
thematically analyzed. Twenty-seven studies were included.
Studies focused on cancer (70%), recruitment (93%), and perspectives from
clinicians (63%). The most referenced strategies were education (44%),
communication (48%), and community-based participatory research (63%).
Critical themes include empowerment, transparency, trust, and
sustainability. Strategies must prioritize the community and be
implemented sustainably, where cultural humility and community-based
participatory research are foundational.