Why inclusion matters in clinical research
What if the treatments we trust don’t work for everyone?
That’s the reality when clinical trials don’t reflect the diversity of the patients they aim to help. At Medtronic, we’re changing that.
We believe everyone deserves access to life-changing healthcare. That’s why we’re committed to designing and running clinical trials that reflect the diversity of the patients we serve. When trial participants mirror real-world populations, we gain better insights into how therapies work for everyone, leading to safer, more effective, and more equitable care.
Historically, some groups have been underrepresented in clinical trials, even when they bear a heavier burden of disease. This lack of representation can lead to:
Including people from all walks of life in clinical trials helps create treatments that truly work for everyone.
In 2021, we launched the Diversity in Clinical Trials Program to make research more inclusive and patient-centered. Our vision is simple: Clinical trials should represent everyone who could be affected by a disease.
Here’s how we’re making it happen:
Patient feedback is critical. When patients share their experiences, it helps us:
We’re proud of our progress, but we know there’s more to do. Equity in clinical research is essential to equity in care, and we’re committed to getting there.
Heart disease research has historically focused on men, leaving women underdiagnosed and undertreated. Our SMART trial changed that. Nearly 90% of participants were women — providing physicians with data that shows how different heart valves perform in women with aortic stenosis.
Pulse oximeters save lives, but studies have suggested that they may be less accurate for people with darker skin tones. So, we opened a lab in Denver to help us improve the technology behind the device. We also educated more than 17,000 clinicians on how skin tone affects readings — closing gaps in care and building trust.
