Community Partnership in Precision Medicine: Themes from a Community Engagement Conference

Through a community-academic planning process, the group hosted a conference on community engagement in precision medicine research. The conference focused on academic and community presentations and dialogues on trust, research ethics, and engagement strategies. Quantitative data reflected a high level of overall interest and willingness to participate in precision medicine research, and specifically the “All of Us” Research Program. Conference discussions suggested that there is a need to convey fully to community stakeholders what precision medicine is, the process of research development, and how specific community concerns will be handled. Concerns most noted were related to trust, safety, uses of data, benefits to participants and communities, and inclusion of diverse populations. Addressing such concerns, while building on community resilience and faith in the promise of science to improve health, may help achieve true engagement.

The full journal article can be downloaded below.