For many researchers, there is a common barrier to running successful clinical trials: Recruitment. This challenge is amplified when trying to ensure that trial participants are representative of the patients who will rely on life-changing medications or interventions.
The University of Georgia College of Public Health is making strides to improve recruitment for trials to combat some of these challenges.
Through funding from the University of Southern California Clinical Trial Recruitment Lab (CTRL), Associate Professor Andrew Kiselica will conduct a pilot study to strengthen clinical trial recruitment. This study will focus on establishing a digitally enabled, trial-ready cohort of rural older adults—a group that is traditionally difficult to access.
Kiselica is part of the Cognitive Aging Research and Education (CARE) Center at UGA, a clinical, research and outreach space that delivers education on dementia risk reduction, conducts leading-edge research and provides planning and support for individuals with dementia and their care partners. His experience was an influencing factor in this study.
“Part of what spawned the CARE Center is the recognition that people from rural areas don’t have access to the care they need. There’s also a lack of representation of them in research,” said Kiselica. “And because most clinical trials take place in large, urban medical centers, rural communities are also very underrepresented.”
After years of community listening sessions and individual needs assessments, the CARE Center has built a foundation for more rural engagement in clinical trials. This funding, however, will expand on that foundation.
In this pilot study, Kiselica will use existing clinical trial data and apply machine learning to find individuals who might be amyloid positive, an indicator they are likely to have Alzheimer’s-related brain changes. These early tests can make a difference for individuals and their families, as it allows for more future planning and, at times, the opportunity to implement lifestyle changes to slow progression.
They will also conduct digital cognitive assessment, which are a non-invasive way to identify individuals who are at risk of cognitive decline.
“That way you reduce the burden on the participants because not everyone has to go in to give blood,” Kiselica explains. “And you also reduce the cost and burden on the clinical trial team or researchers.”
These digital assessments can be conducted utilizing existing infrastructure, such as computers in UGA Extension offices, which are located around the state and have existing community connections.
And by getting more rural communities involved in Alzheimer’s research, it is possible to increase overall awareness.
“Because there isn’t a lot of healthcare infrastructure in rural communities, there need to be other inroads to increase awareness,” Kiselica said. “UGA’s Cooperative Extension already works extensively in these areas, so there’s a possibility we can utilize those partnerships to increase recruitment in those areas.”
UGA resources and interdisciplinary partners, including Assistant Professor of Computer Science Jin Lu, CARE Center Co-Director and associate professor Jenay Beer, CARE Center Co-Director and Associate Dean for Outreach & Engagement Lisa Renzi-Hammond and Extension collaborators, are making this research possible.
Bridging the geographic divide is an essential step in the fight against Alzheimer’s. By establishing this digitally enabled cohort, UGA is laying the groundwork for a more inclusive future in clinical research—one where non-invasive technology and community partnerships work hand-in-hand to bring world-class science directly to the people who need it most.
