Elizabeth O. Ofili*, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States Track: Practice Presentation Topic: Mobile & Tablet Health Applications Presentation Type: Poster presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Last modified: 2013-09-25

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Critical barriers to clinical trials and clinical research participation have been well documented for African Americans and other underserved populations. In a community survey of African Americans, several barriers to clinical trials participation were identified: over 70% cited a lack of information or lack of awareness of clinical trials as major barriers to participation; over 90% stated that more education about both the disease condition and frank discussions about the clinical trial will enable them to participate. Participation in clinical research is a proven path to quality improvement. In collaboration with AccuHealth Technologies Inc, investigators at Morehouse School of Medicine have developed and patented a mobile technology that uses interactive communication to promote access to clinical trials. The technology enables seamless interaction with the research team, using culturally appropriate interactive consent forms. Using real time online communication, telehealth coaches provide clinical trial specific health literacy, mentorship and training of participants. The technology recognizes that as we move beyond the legacy of the Tuskegee Syphilis study, we must embrace mobile technology platforms that enable innovations in clinical trials. Our technology integrates easy to understand health information, about how an individual’s genetic make-up, or genotype, is directly related to his or her phenotype (the various traits of an individual that can be observed or measured). Since environmental factors also affect how an individual’s gene is expressed, or how the genetic blueprint is executed, our technology also helps research participants to learn firsthand their critical role, by integrating the importance of biomarkers, pharmacogenomics, and biorepositories, as the new frontier in personalized drug development and clinical trials. We will present an example from our work on personalized and predictive health for women, using gene expression profiles that identify risk markers for cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Conclusion: As we seek to reach minorities and underserved populations with new therapies, mobile technologies are an untapped resource for integrating culturally relevant personalized health messages, that engage and enable full participation of these communities in clinical research innovation.