Hispanic clinical trials face a persistent participation gap that undermines the quality of cancer research data for one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. Research from Moffitt Cancer Center examined why Spanish speaking cancer patients enroll in clinical trials at significantly lower rates than the general population, identifying specific cultural and linguistic barriers that standard outreach efforts fail to address. For FOMAT, increasing participation in Hispanic clinical trials is central to our mission as an Embedded Research Organization committed to serving diverse communities nationally.
Why Hispanic clinical trials have low participation rates
The 45.5 million Hispanic individuals living in the United States represent the nation’s fastest growing ethnic group, yet their enrollment in clinical research remains disproportionately low. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers conducted focus groups with 36 Spanish speaking cancer survivors from Tampa and Puerto Rico to understand the specific factors driving this gap.
Five critical barriers emerged from the research. Language is the most immediate: educational materials about Hispanic clinical trials are predominantly developed in English and simply translated into Spanish rather than being adapted for genuine cultural relevance. Beyond language, four culturally rooted barriers further limit enrollment among Hispanic patients.
Cultural beliefs that keep patients out of Hispanic clinical trials
The first cultural barrier is a deeply held belief about the physician patient relationship. Among focus group participants, researchers found widespread confusion about why a doctor would ask a patient to make a treatment decision. The prevailing cultural framework is that the doctor guides treatment and the patient follows. The concept of shared decision making that underlies clinical trial participation runs directly counter to this model.
The second barrier involves family. In Hispanic culture, health decisions are rarely made by the individual alone. Patients rely on family members to help evaluate and approve treatment choices, meaning outreach focused only on the patient misses a critical part of the decision making process.
The third barrier is misconception. Many Hispanic patients hold inaccurate beliefs about what clinical trial participation involves, including fears about being used as test subjects or receiving no treatment at all. These misconceptions are difficult to correct without culturally grounded education delivered in Spanish by trusted community sources.
The fourth barrier is practical. Transportation, work schedules, lack of insurance, and out of pocket costs create participation constraints that disproportionately affect lower income Hispanic communities, regardless of their willingness to enroll.
What culturally tailored outreach for Hispanic clinical trials looks like
The Moffitt research team used feedback from their focus groups to develop a Spanish language booklet and video specifically designed to address the informational needs and cultural values of Hispanic cancer patients. Rather than translating existing English materials, the team used a social marketing approach that targets a specific audience with content developed to reflect their actual concerns and decision making frameworks.
This approach increases the likelihood that patients engage with the material and experience a genuine shift in their understanding of clinical trials. The educational tools were subsequently evaluated in a randomized clinical trial to measure their effectiveness in improving clinical trial perceptions among Spanish speaking cancer patients.
“We feel the educational materials we developed will empower Hispanic patients by improving their capacity to make health care decisions,” said lead study author Gwendolyn P. Quinn, PhD, of Moffitt Cancer Center.
According to the Mayo Clinic, diverse participation in clinical trials is essential for ensuring that treatments are safe and effective across different populations, and community education plays a key role in expanding that participation.
How FOMAT increases enrollment in Hispanic clinical trials
FOMAT’s approach to Hispanic clinical trials reflects the same principles the Moffitt research identified as essential: cultural relevance, language accessibility, and community trust. With a national network of community based investigator sites serving predominantly Hispanic and Latino populations, FOMAT conducts oncology and other clinical trials in the communities where this population already lives and receives healthcare.
FOMAT employs bilingual staff, develops Spanish language patient materials, and conducts outreach through community events, health fairs, and partnerships with local organizations that have established relationships with Hispanic residents. This embedded approach reduces the distance between potential participants and research opportunities, addressing both informational and practical barriers that limit enrollment in Hispanic clinical trials.
FOMAT’s diversity in clinical trials capabilities are built specifically to serve underrepresented populations including Hispanic and Latino communities, with recruitment practices and site infrastructure designed to make participation accessible regardless of language, income, or prior familiarity with clinical research.
For Hispanic patients interested in learning about available studies, FOMAT’s active studies page provides current information across multiple therapeutic areas including oncology. For sponsors and CROs seeking to improve diversity in trial populations, FOMAT’s patient recruitment excellence capabilities offer a proven community grounded solution.
Why diverse data from Hispanic clinical trials matters for everyone
Increasing participation in Hispanic clinical trials is not only an equity issue. It is a scientific one. Drug metabolism, treatment response, and side effect profiles can vary across ethnic groups in ways that only become visible when those groups are adequately represented in research. When trial populations do not reflect the diversity of patients who will ultimately use a treatment, the resulting data is less reliable for those populations.
Closing the participation gap in Hispanic clinical trials requires sustained investment in culturally competent outreach, community partnerships, and research infrastructure built around the needs of diverse populations. FOMAT is committed to that work nationally, and the results benefit not just Hispanic communities but the integrity of clinical science as a whole.