Conducting research with racial/ethnic minorities: Methodological lessons from the NIDA Clinical Trials Network.

Multiple studies in the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) demonstrate strategies for conducting effective substance abuse treatment research with racial/ethnic minorities. This article describes lessons learned within the CTN to (1) enhance recruitment, retention, and other outcomes for racial/ethnic minorities; (2) assess measurement equivalence; and (3) use data analytic plans that yield more information.

Both the existing literature and the CTN experiences support the need for more research on effective strategies to promote racial/ethnic minority inclusion in clinical trials and research more broadly. Seven recommendations for ways to do this are presented, including the development of community collaborations, more effective retention strategies, research on when (rather than if) ethnic matching improves outcomes, and more.

Supported by the Duke Clinical Research Institute (CTN DSC 1).