Addressing Health Inequities With RWE: Not Just Lip Service

By Yoona Kim

One of the most vexing problems in healthcare today is the persistence of health inequities that deprive minority populations of adequate access to care. Whether due to limited disease awareness, language barriers, lack of insurance, transportation issues, or other factors, minorities and individuals at lower socioeconomic strata are particularly disadvantaged, especially those living with any condition requiring specialty care.

The underrepresentation of Blacks, Latinx, and other ethnic groups in clinical trials is one of the most visible manifestations of health inequities. To a great extent, such underrepresentation is rooted in lingering distrust of the medical establishment, a legacy of the infamous Tuskegee trials and other medical practices that grievously harmed African-Americans.