Mobilizing Affective Community Engagement: Expanding Representation in COPD Research
Healing Research Gaps Through Genuine Engagement
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) disproportionately impacts Black & African American communities1—yet their representation in clinical trials remains limited. To address this disparity, Acclinate partnered with a leading biotechnology research company from April 2023 to July 2024. This collaboration spanned five metropolitan areas—Atlanta, Birmingham, Detroit, Miami, and Houston—and leveraged Acclinate’s NOWINCLUDED platform and community engagement expertise to increase awareness, education, and participation in COPD research.
Our Approach
- Creating a dedicated lung health circle on the NOWINCLUDED platform with culturally tailored resources.
- Participating in 36 community events to establish trust and gather insights on barriers to engagement.
- Presenting 8,620 NOWINCLUDED members with a trial opportunity through digital and in-person efforts.
I had asthma really bad in my childhood. So, dealing with the lungs and finding a good breathing apparatus. It’s been a big part of my life.”
– NOWINCLUDED community member
Our Results
Over 15 months, Acclinate reached more than 1.2M community members through NOWINCLUDED’s lung health community circle initiatives.
Access
1.2M+
people reached with lung health & COPD education
Engage
54K+
members engaged through omnichannel approach
830+
surveys collected from community members
140+
personal stories filmed through NOWINCLUDED
Mobilize
8.6K+
members offered opportunity to participate in a COPD study
56
initiated a pre-screener for COPD research
68%
growth in NOWINCLUDED lung health community
Notable Findings
Acclinate polled NOWINCLUDED community members about their outlook on COPD trials & recorded engagement over time.
~56%
of respondents would be willing to participate in COPD research
25%
cited finding the right healthcare provider as top barrier to care
48%
trusted their primary care physician the most to manage their health
>75%
said they had never been presented with an opportunity to participate in clinical research
~40%
of enrolled Black/African American participants came from this partnership
References
1. Davidson, S., Idris, M., Awad, C., King, M. H., Westney, G. E., Ponce, M., Rodriguez, A., Lipsey, K., Flenaugh, E., & Foreman, M. (2024). Race Adjustment of Pulmonary Function Tests in the Diagnosis and Management of COPD: A Scoping Review. International Journal of COPD. https://doi.org/10.2147/copd.s430249
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