Perceptions of a mobile unit for clinical trial enrollment and participation

Transportation to major medical centers is a significant barrier to HIV/AIDS clinical trial participation for rural southeastern minorities. Mobile units to conduct trials in communities have gained increasing attention. We present data from persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), HIV/AIDS service providers, community leaders, and a community advisory board (CAB) on the use of a mobile unit to increase access to trials.

We conducted 35 individual interviews with PLWHA (30 English, 5 Spanish), 11 focus groups with community leaders and HIV/AIDS service providers (10 English, 1 Spanish), and supplemented these data with 5 Community Advisory Board (CAB) meetings. The CAB is comprised of leaders in the specified groups. Audio-taped and transcribed sessions were analyzed in a back/forth approach between discovery and verification of findings, and triangulated between sets of respondents.

Positives of the mobile unit included increased accessibility and convenience to trials, potential increases in confidentiality, and researchers showing the community that they care. Negatives included potential decreases in confidentiality and lack of continuous funding to support the mobile unit. Respondents also offered perceptions of how a mobile unit could be implemented in partnership with other local HIV service organizations, the importance of packaging health care (HIV and other services) with research, locations for the unit, physical characteristics, and the importance of a consistent community presence.

Researchers must continue to develop innovative strategies for increasing minority participation in HIV/AIDS clinical trials. Community insights allow investigators to make clinical trials more acceptable and accessible to those disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS.