The EDICT project, short for Eliminating Disparities in Clinical Trials, has invited the public to comment on a series of policy proposals design to help patient recruitment and retention in clinical trials. The period open to public comment runs until March 21.

Shortly after, the final policy recommendations will be brought before the Congress, the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.

Among the issues the policies address are minority participation, patient insurance, informed consent, and standards and accreditation. EDICT is a collaborative alliance between Baylor College of Medicine’s Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Research Center and the Intercultural Cancer Council (ICI). It consists of researchers, public health officials, patient advocates and other various stakeholders.

The four-year project is supported by an unrestricted grant from Genentech.