Medical Xpress June 7, 2023
Results of clinical trials are only as good as the data upon which they rest. This is especially true in terms of diversity—if most people in a trial are from a certain race or socioeconomic group, then the results may not be broadly applicable.
This form of potential bias is not a novel concept. But a group of researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago and colleagues has identified a potential hidden source of bias: electronic health records.
In a recent Contemporary Clinical Trials commentary, the researchers explain how embedded pragmatic clinical trials, or ePCTs, which test the effectiveness of medical interventions in real-world settings, potentially leave out people who are from underrepresented and underserved groups. And even when participants...