Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2023

Breaking Barriers, Bridging Cultures: Improving Clinical Trial Access and Participation in the Australian Arabic-Speaking Community (#433)

Rayan Saleh Moussa 1 , Maria Gonzalez 1 , Sally Fielding 1 , Tim Luckett 1 , Charbel Bejjani 2 , Ben Smith 3 , Slavica Kochovska 4 , Arwa Abousamra 1 , Nadine El-Kabbout 1 , Linda James 1 , Linda Brown 1 , Meera Agar 1 2
  1. University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
  2. South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney
  3. University of Sydney, Camperdown
  4. University of Wollongong, Wollongong

Background: Australia is growing in ethnic diversity, and Arabic is now the third most spoken language in the country.1 Despite this, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities continue to experience poorer healthcare access and healthcare outcomes, with several contributing factors identified in the context of cancer care.2 These inequities are compounded by the exclusion and underrepresentation of CALD communities in potentially life-saving cancer clinical research. To date, research has predominantly focused on community-sided barriers, with a perceived lack of understanding of the health system and low English proficiency identified as key barriers to participation in clinical research.3-5 However, it is critical to investigate the experiences of key stakeholders such as trial sponsors, researchers, healthcare professionals and site staff, to inform a more holistic approach to improving diversity and inclusion in the Australian clinical research landscape.

Aim: To unpack the barriers and enablers to CALD participation in clinical research, through the perspectives of researchers and healthcare professionals, with an initial focus on the Australian Arabic-speaking community.

Method: A qualitative study that uses focus group sessions with researchers and healthcare professionals working with adults with cancer from the Australian Arabic-speaking community. Each participant will be required to attend one focus group session (~60 min). Participants who are unable to attend a focus group session will be invited to participate in a semi-structured interview (~45 min). Recruitment will be guided by data saturation, with an initial target sample size of 30 participants.

Data analysis: Narrative synthesis methodology will be utilised. Demographic data will be analysed using descriptive statistics. Only aggregate data of participant demographics will be reported, with the sole purpose of describing the study population. Audio and video recordings from the focus groups (and semi-structured interviews, where applicable) will be transcribed verbatim, and inductively coded. Qualitative data collected during focus groups (and semi-structured interviews) will be analysed using thematic analysis.6

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census reveals a fast changing, culturally diverse nation 2017 [updated January 11, 2018]. Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/lookup/media%20release3
  2. Scanlon B, Brough M, Wyld D, Durham J. Equity across the cancer care continuum for culturally and linguistically diverse migrants living in Australia: a scoping review. Global Health. 2021;17(1):87.
  3. Lim BT, Butow P, Sze ML, Costa D, Girgis A, Jefford M, et al. Impact of migrancy on cancer clinical trial participation: Factors associated with approach and consent in Australian-born versus migrant groups. Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2020;16(3):115-22.
  4. Smith AB, Descallar J, Girgis A, Agar M, Delaney G, Dobell-Brown K, et al. Lower trial participation by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) cancer patients is largely due to language barriers. Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2018;14(1):52-60.
  5. Smith B, Descallar J, Girgis A, Agar M, Delaney G, Dobell-Brown K, et al. Cancer research participation by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients in southwestern sydney from 2006 to 2016: A retrospective analysis. Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2017;13(Supplement 4):96.
  6. Vaismoradi M, Turunen H, Bondas T. Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nurs Health Sci. 2013;15(3):398-405.