While 16% of the US population is Hispanic or Latino, these groups account for only 3% of the 260,000 or so Americans who take part in medical research each year, says patient recruitment and retention specialist MMG.

The disparity is all the more marked given that the US Hispanic population is expected to triple by 2050, which is why MMG, a Ketchum company and part of the Omnicom Group, is putting together a “groundbreaking” forum to address the issue. 

The forum, Todos Juntos por la Salud (All Together for Health), will be held in Dallas, Texas on 12 February 2011. MMG sees it as a way of partnering with Hispanic and Latino healthcare community leaders to improve understanding of the cultural and other barriers limiting these groups’ involvement in clinical research, and how to overcome them. 

Other topics for discussion will include identifying additional tools for promoting disease awareness in the Hispanic and Latino communities. Health industry stakeholders will also contribute to the forum.

The outcomes and insights of this dialogue will be publicised and shared with stakeholders to raise awareness, promote best practice and sustain the momentum of the Todos Juntos por la Salud initiative.

“We at MMG feel an urgency to address the disparity in clinical research access and participation among the US Hispanic and Latino populations,” commented chief executive officer John Benbrook.  

“MMG is committed to applying our relationships and insights from our daily work to leading efforts that will get at the heart of these issues and drive tangible change.”