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Guests: Dr. Kim M. Barbel Johnson is a community-centric, patient-focused Family Physician and Principal Research Investigator working in the Hematology and Oncology departments, at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.

 Douglas (Doug) Murrell works with Community Engagement department of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCATS) as the Operations Manager for the Community-Engaged Research Program.

Summary: While historically there has been limited inclusion of racial and ethnic minorities in research studies and clinical trials, critical strides have been taken in medicine to increase representation to help address health disparities and inequities. Gaining diverse perspectives in research provides an opportunity to enhance our understanding of the unique challenges faced by different racial and ethnic groups and also helps dismantle biases and stereotypes. On this episode of the RISE for Equity podcast, Dr. Kim Barbel Johnson and Doug Murrell join host Nicole Nfonoyim-Hara to discuss the impacts of diversifying decentralized clinical trials, and the impacts of community engagement in healthcare. Guest: Dr. Kim M. Barbel Johnson is a community-centric, patient-focused Family Physician and Principal Research Investigator working in the Hematology and Oncology departments, at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida. Douglas (Doug) Murrell works with Community Engagement department of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCATS) as the Operations Manager for the Community-Engaged Research Program.

“Okay, let's take a carton of eggs, and let's paint all the eggs a different color. We can say that the carton of eggs are diverse because they're different colors. But me and you know that the background is the same, the environment is the same, everything else about those eggs are identical except for the color. And so, I think when we say diversity, we are meaning so many more things than we have been limited to in our society.” 

-Doug Murrell

“We've moved from the term decentralized clinical trial generically, and we've embraced it as clinical trials without walls because we really want to make sure that this is a culture change. We've embraced this, the decentralized aspect of making sure that we understand that clinical trials can be without walls. That is revolutionary for the entire industry. At Mayo Clinic, this has been an ongoing conversation as we've seen the need to increase representation and to decrease the barriers for inclusion and clinical trials.”

– Dr. Kim Barbel Johnson

Please visit the RISE for Equity website for more information.

*Please note that there is no CME Credit being offered for this episode. 

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