Principal Investigator: Vicki Lampley, MD

Please Note: Research is in data analysis, for information on publications, please refer to contact information below

Abstract:

It is well known that there are problems with recruiting and retaining minorities for research studies.  However, it is not clear how to better recruit Native Americans into studies.  There is also a scarcity of Native American researchers.  This project seeks to address both of these issues.

Specific Aims:

1) determine the barriers to and facilitators for participation of Native Americans in research studies and in the process develop a viable partnership between the Native American community and the university

2) develop a registry of Native Americans willing to participate in the Native American Research Center for Health (NARCH) research studies especially as those studies relate to health disparities

3) train a Native American student in research methodology. 

These specific aims will be accomplished via an exploratory pilot study using focus groups to describe the barriers and facilitators to research participation from the perspective of members of the Chickasaw Nation.  The information gained from the focus groups will be used to develop a survey instrument in order to gather more generalizable data.  A Native American student will be an important part of the research team and will work with experienced faculty members in data collection, data management and analysis.  A steering committee consisting of leaders from the Chickasaw Nation and the research team will develop the interview guide used for the focus group sessions and subsequent survey.  The data will be analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively, then used to develop a recruitment strategy.  A Registry of Native American Volunteers will be available for use by researchers in the NARCH.

Participant Inclusion Criteria:

1. American Indian
2. 18+

Contact Information:

Lancer Stephens, Special Populations Unit Director. (405) 271-4272 x 42732 or lancer-stephens@ouhsc.edu When inquiring, please mention the Barriers and Facilitators project.