Conducting research with racial/ethnic minorities: methodological lessons from the NIDA Clinical Trials Network.

Abstract

Multiple studies in the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network (CTN) demonstrate strategies for conducting effective substance abuse treatment research with racial/ethnic minorities (REMs).The objectives of this article are to describe lessons learned within the CTN to (1) enhance recruitment, retention, and other outcomes; (2) assess measurement equivalence; and (3) use data analytic plans that yield more information.This article includes background information and examples from multiple CTN studies on inclusion, measurement, and data analysis.Seven recommendations are included for conducting more effective research on REMs.