CTN-0133 EXPLORE Toolkit
CTN-0133, Exploring Health Beliefs for Community Engagement and Diversity in Clinical Trials (EXPLORE), aimed to develop a toolkit that would help improve inclusion and engagement of diverse populations in clinical research as a way to broaden the relevance and translation of research findings into practice.
The EXPLORE toolkit is now available! The toolkit was developed through a multi-phase process that included systematic review of existing toolkits, domain development, platform design, individual interviews, and two rounds of theater testing with community health workers serving Hispanic communities in Southern New Mexico and American Indian communities in Northern New Mexico.
The primary outcomes paper for the study includes results from an evaluation of the tool, in which participants rated domain-specific toolkit importance at an average of 4.48-4.61 on a 5-point scale. Additionally, 79% of participants rated the toolkit “very important” for promoting culturally competent research, and 64% were “very likely” to recommend it.
Using a strengths-based approach, the toolkit addresses equity, stigma, and participation barriers, promoting culturally sensitive and community-centered research practices.
The toolkit is ideal for clinical trials researchers and community health workers who are interested in learning more about how to engage underrepresented populations in clinical trials research in Southern New Mexico and beyond.