Press Releases

BUFFALO, NY—Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) announced a federal grant totaling $1,105,466 for research conducted at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) aimed at improving efficiency, quality, and equity in clinical trials. The grant is awarded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences operating with the mission of supporting “more treatments for all people more quickly.”

“Inclusive participation in clinical trials is a critical component of ensuring the study matches the intended treatment population,” Congressman Kennedy said. “I commend Dr. Hawk and UB for their leadership in pursuing strategies to advance health equity through the study of remote clinical trials.” 

“The pandemic pushed everything to be remote, including clinical trials, and many trials continue to use remote methods despite little strong evidence of the strengths and weaknesses of remote trial components,” Dr. Larry Hawk, Professor, Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, and principal investigator for the project said “For example, remote trials may be more efficient than in-person trials, but at some cost to rigor. And we still don’t know whether remote trials will improve or worsen knowledge gaps related to health disparities—remote methods may be better for some groups but worse for others. We’re proud that our team’s work will be on the cutting edge of answering these questions, and we’re grateful to the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences for funding the project and to Congressman Tim Kennedy for his ongoing support for scientific research.”

BACKGROUND: 

Clinical trials, which examine new drugs, devices, or treatment protocols, are designed to thoroughly test and swiftly implement new and improved healthcare strategies. Remote trials, which allow patients to receive treatment and provide data without the need to travel to a healthcare facility, have emerged as an increasingly promising approach, however, stronger evidence is needed to evaluate the impact of remote trials on quality and efficiency. 

The grant will allow for the study of the advantages and challenges related to remote trials through three Randomized Controlled Trials; two led by UB and one cooperative study led by UB and the University of Pennsylvania. The project will examine how remote versus in-person trials impact representation and retention among under-represented groups facing health disparities.

For more information on clinical trials visit: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

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