Profs. Alvarez-Hernandez & Sprague Martinez Receive FDA Grant to Increase Spanish-Speaking Participants in Clinical Research
Language diversity in the U.S. is rarely represented in clinical trials, which rely mostly on English-speaking participants. In a significant step towards enhancing health equity, Profs. Luis Alvarez-Hernandez from Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) and Linda Sprague Martinez from the University of Connecticut received the FDA Health Equity Innovation Award to fund a community-informed research project to increase the number of Spanish speakers included in clinical trials. The initiative will address a language gap in research that affects the persistent health inequities faced by non-English-speaking populations.
“Research and policy change without community voices risks replicating problematic patterns whose solutions don’t include those who are directly impacted by them,” Alvarez-Hernandez explains.
Their proposal, “Advancing Health Equity Through Linguistic Inclusion in Clinical Trials,” is among four projects funded by the FDA Office of Minority Health & Health Equity, with Alvarez-Hernandez and Sprague Martinez receiving $250,000 for a one-year period. “We will examine Spanish-speaking individuals’ perspectives, preferences, unmet needs, and barriers when considering joining clinical trials,” they add. The data gathered will help inform educational and communication strategies for researchers and support the BU Clinical & Translational Institute’s ongoing efforts to enhance linguistic inclusion.
Alvarez-Hernandez’s research focuses on the wellbeing of Latinx, LGBTQ+, and immigrant communities with a particular attention to the liberatory experiences of people living at the intersections of these identities. His teaching and research are informed by over 10 years of experience as a bilingual (English and Spanish) clinical social worker in mental health and healthcare settings.
Prof. Linda Sprague Martinez is also an affiliate at The Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at BUSSW and continues to collaborate with the School and Center.