SIHI Hosts Pathways to Health Equity Symposium

November 2023 - SIHI hosted the inaugural Pathways to Health Equity: Access to Clinical Trials in Rural Communities Symposium at Missoula College from November 2-3, 2023. 

The symposium aimed to give voice to patients in rural and tribal communities affected by lack of access to clinical trials and emerging health innovations. The event brought together patients, healthcare providers, and industry representatives to explore innovative solutions to clinical trial access in rural and Tribal communities. 

 The symposium featured speakers from rural research programs, stories from patients and their advocates, and open discussions about the impacts of clinical trial access.

Thursday evening included a seated dinner and keynote speaker Dr. Denise Dillard, a Professor in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine Department of Medical Education & Clinical Sciences and Co-Director of the Insitute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health at Washington State University.  Friday included a full day of educational sessions, panels, and open discussions with the audience. 

Patients in rural areas have historically been the last to gain access to emerging healthcare innovations, have less accessible medical care, and suffer from a higher burden of chronic disease. The Pathways to Health Equity Symposium aimed to uncover the unique needs and concerns that have limited participation in clinical research from rural and tribal communities.

Participants learned more about the perspectives of rural and tribal communities on clinical trial participation and the distinctive challenges faced by rural health systems. They explored new partnerships with shared oversight of the research process to promote research capacity across the state. Sessions included firsthand accounts of patients' journeys to participate in a clinical trial and examples from established clinical research investigators and personnel with successful research departments in rural areas.