In this study, published in The Laryngoscope, a team of researchers attempted to analyze the demographic characteristics of patients who participated in chronic rhinosinusitis clinical trials. The study’s goal was to identify discrepancies between the general population and the groups of individuals who participated in these trials. Because many clinical trials deviate from the general population, such studies can help give insight into what is needed to make trials more representative of diverse groups.
This study relied on data from American studies between 2010 and 2020. A total of 83 studies were included overall, with a total of 12,027 patients. Among these patients, the average age was 49.2, and 50.4% were male. Regarding the racial/ethnic demographics of the 12,027 patients, 81.67% were white, 5.35% Black, 1.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, and 0.12% American Indian. A further 11.57% were classed as “other.” Of the total patients in the clinical trials, 8,810 underwent surgical operations of some kind.
The researchers note that the percentage of each minority racial group in the clinical trials surveyed differs significantly from the United States as a whole. Regional analyses varied more, with minority enrollment in clinical trials still underrepresenting the national demographics in the Northeast and West. The researchers concluded that further efforts must be taken to make sure that enrollment of racial/ethnic minorities more closely matches the demographics of the general population [1].
Source:
[1] Spielman, D. B., Liebowitz, A., Kelebeyev, S., Smith, T. L., McKinney, K., Woodard, T., Safi, C., Overdevest, J. B., & Gudis, D. A. (2021). Race in Rhinology Clinical Trials: A Decade of Disparity. The Laryngoscope. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.29371
