The importance of diversity in clinical trials is a topic of ongoing discussion within the medical community. In a recent study conducted by the University of Southern California, researchers found that offering a modest gift card significantly increased enrollment of low-income individuals in a patient registry designed to accelerate Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials.
The study, published in JAMA Health Forum, aimed to address the underrepresentation of marginalized groups in Alzheimer’s clinical trials. Researchers sent invitations to nearly 50,000 adults aged 50 and older without a dementia diagnosis to enroll in the Alzheimer Prevention Trials (APT) Webstudy. The participants, who received care through an integrated county health system serving primarily Medicaid enrollees, were randomly assigned to three groups.
One group received a simple invitation to register, while a second group was offered a $25 Amazon gift card for enrolling. The third group was offered entry into a prize drawing for a $2,500 Amazon gift card with 1-in-100 odds of winning. The results showed that the small gift card offer increased enrollment by almost 40% compared to the message-only control group.
Interestingly, participants who were white, male, or enrolled in Medicaid responded most strongly to the incentive. Surprisingly, the opportunity to win a much larger prize did not increase enrollment. This suggests that smaller incentives may be more effective in encouraging participation among certain demographics.
While the small gift card offer proved to be successful in increasing enrollment, the study also highlighted the cost-effectiveness of a message-only approach for registering low-income patients. The researchers concluded that investing in outreach to underrepresented communities may be a more effective use of patient registry resources.
The lead authors of the study, Mireille Jacobson and Doris Molina-Henry, emphasized the importance of diversifying clinical trial participant recruitment. The study was conducted through the Alzheimer’s Trial Recruitment Innovation Lab (ATRIL), a collaboration between the USC Schaeffer Center, the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI), and Howard University.
In conclusion, the use of modest incentives, such as gift cards, can play a significant role in accelerating Alzheimer’s clinical research by increasing enrollment among low-income individuals. By addressing the need for diversity in clinical trials, researchers can ensure that new treatments and interventions are accessible to all populations. This study sheds light on the importance of inclusive recruitment strategies in medical research.
