Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion processes within clinical trials and health and social care research

The lack of diverse and inclusive clinical research populations fuels health inequalities in the UK, and there is an urgent need to reverse this. This communication provides a practical framework for positive action to integrate equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) processes into clinical research...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Robina Coker, Marta Boffito, Helen Jones, Stephen Cole, Amrinder Sayan, Laura Mitchell, Gayathri Perera, Simon Lewis, Keerti Gedela, Christiana Dinah, Richard Wong, Stuart Blackburn, Keitumetse-Kabelo Murray, Suki Balendra, Sunder Chita, Rainer Golombek, Essam Ramhamadany, Regimantas Pestininkas, Gregory Mickiewicz, Sandra O'Sullivan, Karuna Chellen, Geraldine Landers, Nilabhra Dutta, Latha Aravindan, Joanne Holloway, Antoinette McNulty, Lynis Lewis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-03-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/3/e091807.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849739342538342400
author Robina Coker
Marta Boffito
Helen Jones
Stephen Cole
Amrinder Sayan
Laura Mitchell
Gayathri Perera
Simon Lewis
Keerti Gedela
Christiana Dinah
Richard Wong
Stuart Blackburn
Keitumetse-Kabelo Murray
Suki Balendra
Sunder Chita
Rainer Golombek
Essam Ramhamadany
Regimantas Pestininkas
Gregory Mickiewicz
Sandra O'Sullivan
Karuna Chellen
Geraldine Landers
Nilabhra Dutta
Latha Aravindan
Joanne Holloway
Antoinette McNulty
Lynis Lewis
author_facet Robina Coker
Marta Boffito
Helen Jones
Stephen Cole
Amrinder Sayan
Laura Mitchell
Gayathri Perera
Simon Lewis
Keerti Gedela
Christiana Dinah
Richard Wong
Stuart Blackburn
Keitumetse-Kabelo Murray
Suki Balendra
Sunder Chita
Rainer Golombek
Essam Ramhamadany
Regimantas Pestininkas
Gregory Mickiewicz
Sandra O'Sullivan
Karuna Chellen
Geraldine Landers
Nilabhra Dutta
Latha Aravindan
Joanne Holloway
Antoinette McNulty
Lynis Lewis
collection DOAJ
description The lack of diverse and inclusive clinical research populations fuels health inequalities in the UK, and there is an urgent need to reverse this. This communication provides a practical framework for positive action to integrate equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) processes into clinical research design, protocols and implementation and to establish accountable clinical research systems that are trustworthy to the public and accessible to diverse communities.This framework is a consensus-based guide developed by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working group of the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s (NIHR’s) Clinical Research Network in North West London. This work involved analysing challenges to integrating EDI within the clinical research process, such as clinical trial protocols as directed by industry sponsors and National Health Service investigator teams. It aligns with the UK government’s clinical research strategy and NIHR’s INCLUDE project.It advises an interconnected approach to embedding EDI throughout the clinical research lifecycle. By following this framework, we aspire to guide clinical research towards a more equitable, inclusive and representative model that better serves the needs of all populations.
format Article
id doaj-art-e6e3ee9f6b1d42c8945d2b872e8e45d2
institution DOAJ
issn 2044-6055
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open
spelling doaj-art-e6e3ee9f6b1d42c8945d2b872e8e45d22025-08-20T03:06:17ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-03-0115310.1136/bmjopen-2024-091807Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion processes within clinical trials and health and social care research 0Robina CokerMarta BoffitoHelen Jones1Stephen ColeAmrinder SayanLaura MitchellGayathri PereraSimon LewisKeerti Gedela2Christiana DinahRichard Wong3Stuart BlackburnKeitumetse-Kabelo Murray4Suki Balendra5Sunder Chita6Rainer Golombek7Essam RamhamadanyRegimantas PestininkasGregory MickiewiczSandra O'SullivanKaruna ChellenGeraldine LandersNilabhra DuttaLatha AravindanJoanne HollowayAntoinette McNultyLynis LewisLiverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Thomas Drive2 Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UKChelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, England, UKNIHR Clinical Research Network North West London, NIHR North London Regional Research Delivery Network, London, England, UKNIHR Applied Research Collaboration Northwest London, London, England, UKImperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, England, UKLondon North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, London, England, UKChelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, England, UKThe lack of diverse and inclusive clinical research populations fuels health inequalities in the UK, and there is an urgent need to reverse this. This communication provides a practical framework for positive action to integrate equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) processes into clinical research design, protocols and implementation and to establish accountable clinical research systems that are trustworthy to the public and accessible to diverse communities.This framework is a consensus-based guide developed by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working group of the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s (NIHR’s) Clinical Research Network in North West London. This work involved analysing challenges to integrating EDI within the clinical research process, such as clinical trial protocols as directed by industry sponsors and National Health Service investigator teams. It aligns with the UK government’s clinical research strategy and NIHR’s INCLUDE project.It advises an interconnected approach to embedding EDI throughout the clinical research lifecycle. By following this framework, we aspire to guide clinical research towards a more equitable, inclusive and representative model that better serves the needs of all populations.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/3/e091807.full
spellingShingle Robina Coker
Marta Boffito
Helen Jones
Stephen Cole
Amrinder Sayan
Laura Mitchell
Gayathri Perera
Simon Lewis
Keerti Gedela
Christiana Dinah
Richard Wong
Stuart Blackburn
Keitumetse-Kabelo Murray
Suki Balendra
Sunder Chita
Rainer Golombek
Essam Ramhamadany
Regimantas Pestininkas
Gregory Mickiewicz
Sandra O'Sullivan
Karuna Chellen
Geraldine Landers
Nilabhra Dutta
Latha Aravindan
Joanne Holloway
Antoinette McNulty
Lynis Lewis
Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion processes within clinical trials and health and social care research
BMJ Open
title Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion processes within clinical trials and health and social care research
title_full Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion processes within clinical trials and health and social care research
title_fullStr Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion processes within clinical trials and health and social care research
title_full_unstemmed Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion processes within clinical trials and health and social care research
title_short Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion processes within clinical trials and health and social care research
title_sort embedding equity diversity and inclusion processes within clinical trials and health and social care research
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/3/e091807.full
work_keys_str_mv AT embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT robinacoker embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT martaboffito embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT helenjones embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT stephencole embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT amrindersayan embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT lauramitchell embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT gayathriperera embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT simonlewis embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT keertigedela embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT christianadinah embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT richardwong embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT stuartblackburn embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT keitumetsekabelomurray embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT sukibalendra embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT sunderchita embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT rainergolombek embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT essamramhamadany embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT regimantaspestininkas embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT gregorymickiewicz embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT sandraosullivan embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT karunachellen embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT geraldinelanders embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT nilabhradutta embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT lathaaravindan embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT joanneholloway embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT antoinettemcnulty embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch
AT lynislewis embeddingequitydiversityandinclusionprocesseswithinclinicaltrialsandhealthandsocialcareresearch