Representation of South Asian people in randomised trials

Editor—Mason et al conclude that minority ethnic groups are under-represented in randomised clinical trials conducted in the United Kingdom.¹ Their idea to conduct a study of this nature is interesting, but the findings are not definitive.

They conducted a retrospective study, in which some patients belonging to the minority group are likely to have been missed. They used naam pehchan, an Indian phrase that literally means “name identification.” This method is not perfect, as they have pointed out.

They studied only a small number of trials. Other reports about minority ethnic groups being specifically included in trials have been published.²,³ It would have been interesting to know if, during an ongoing trial, patients belonging to minority ethnic groups were identified but were not included for randomisation. This observation is possible only in a prospective study. A prospective study would also help in identifying the reasons behind the non-inclusion of a higher percentage of patients belonging to the minority group.

The study by Mason et al points towards an important finding of lower rates of inclusion of minority ethnic groups in clinical trials in the United Kingdom, but it cannot be taken as the final word. Furthermore, prospective studies need to be undertaken to have a better picture of the magnitude of this problem and reasons behind it.