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Hidden Barriers: How the demographics of clinical trials can hurt people of color

Hidden Barriers

How the demographics of clinical trials can hurt people of color

Season
1
 /
Episode
7
 /
Video duration
8 min 10 s

Medical research in the U.S. has a dark history, particularly when it comes to the Black community. This has led many in communities of color to distrust the institution of medicine. Across the nation, 60% of Americans as a whole said they will get a COVID-19 vaccine. But, among Black people, that number drops to 42%, compared with 83% of Asians, 63% of Latinx, and 61% of white adults, according to the Pew Research Center. Crosscut investigates what that means for research and treatment, and why representation matters when it comes to clinical studies.

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Medical research in the U.S. has a dark history, particularly when it comes to the Black community. This has led many in communities of color to distrust the institution of medicine. Across the nation, 60% of Americans as a whole said they will get a COVID-19 vaccine. But, among Black people, that number drops to 42%, compared with 83% of Asians, 63% of Latinx, and 61% of white adults, according to the Pew Research Center. Crosscut investigates what that means for research and treatment, and why representation matters when it comes to clinical studies.

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