COLUMBUS, Ohio–March 6, 2025–Today, clinical trials dramatically underrepresent patients who live in rural areas of the United States. Less than half of US counties (42.4%) had any cancer clinical trials conducted between 2008-2022 (source). Rural counties, which typically have fewer hospitals and oncologists, demonstrated significantly lower likelihood of available trials, creating "clinical trial deserts" that limit both patient care options and the representativeness of trial populations.
To address this challenge, Paradigm Health has launched a dedicated effort to expand clinical trial access in rural America, adding former United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. David Shulkin as an advisor. Nearly half of US veterans live in rural areas, where regional health systems have historically lacked the resources to run clinical trials. Paradigm Health is rebuilding the clinical trial ecosystem with services and technology to overcome these barriers.
“During my time at the Veterans Health Administration we worked hard to make sure all our veterans, especially those in rural communities, had access to the latest medical advances. This can be a challenge because nearly half of US veterans live in rural areas, where regional health systems are far less likely to have the resources and staff to run clinical trials,” said Dr. Shulkin. “Paradigm Health's technology-driven approach, combined with expert services, is helping to expand trial access to exactly these sorts of critical community health systems. When clinical trials happen closer to where veterans and rural Americans live and receive care, we not only improve access to potentially life-saving treatments but also ensure new therapies are tested in the populations they're intended to help."
This effort is part of Paradigm Health’s mission to create equitable access to clinical trials for any patient, anywhere. The company is bringing AI-supported technology and care services to more people, in more locations. They have launched partnerships at over 400 research sites across 1,000 healthcare provider locations and three countries, with a focus on reaching rural geographies and populations that have historically had less access to clinical trials, stretching from Oregon to Arkansas to Japan. Paradigm Health has shown positive progress, including tripling patient participation in cancer clinical trials for a North Dakota health system.
Luciana Borio, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, venture partner at ARCH Venture Partners and advisor to Paradigm Health, is a global expert in public health and former United States Food and Drug Administration Acting Chief Scientist. Borio commented, “Participation drives clinical trials. More access to participate will increase innovation and US competitiveness. The existence of clinical trial deserts means we’re leaving swaths of potential behind. Paradigm Health’s commitment to access will have far reaching effects on the speed of medical progress.”
Working with Paradigm Health, healthcare systems aim to increase the availability of clinical trials as a care option by using technology, data, and process automation. For example, Paradigm Health, through a partnership with OpenAI, has proven to reduce clinician time to screen patients for eligibility by 90%, while improving accuracy by 10%. That means every patient can discuss clinical trial options with their care team early in the treatment journey, without adding more work to providers. Paradigm Health says that biopharma sponsors, eager to reach more diverse populations, are happy to fund these efforts as a way to extend clinical trial access to more patients.
Kent Thoelke, CEO of Paradigm Health said, “Everyone benefits when more people have access to clinical trials–that’s indisputable. The challenge is constructing a system where trials can be effectively integrated into care, without added expense or labor. That’s our mission at Paradigm Health and we’re honored to have Dr. Shulkin, a leader in rural care in America, join forces with us.”
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