Acclinate’s NOWINCLUDED: Turning Community Insights Into Research Equity

Clinical research equity efforts originate with good intentions. But they often hit a roadblock in practice: communities are asked to participate in healthcare research without being meaningfully included in how that research is shaped.

The story is familiar: education comes late. Trust is assumed. Feedback is filtered or lost entirely. And the result is uneven participation and missed insight, especially among populations that research aims to serve better. In fact, federal oversight of NIH-funded studies found most completed trials missed their own enrollment goals for underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, showing that even when plans exist, execution fails communities of color.

Acclinate’s NOWINCLUDED was built to change the dynamic and the outcome. As our flagship community engagement ecosystem, NOWINCLUDED creates space for ongoing education, dialogue, and relationship-building long before a clinical study enters the picture. It positions communities as active contributors to healthcare innovation rather than passive recipients of outreach.

This ecosystem reflects a broader shift in how health equity work is being approached: moving upstream, listening earlier, and treating community insight as central, not secondary, to effective clinical research.

What Is NOWINCLUDED?

Acclinate’s NOWINCLUDED is a community health platform designed to center underrepresented voices throughout the healthcare research lifecycle. It connects community members to educational resources, peer discussions, and research opportunities in ways that prioritize clarity, cultural relevance, and trust.

Rather than focusing solely on enrollment, NOWINCLUDED supports long-term participation. Community members engage at their own pace, learn about health topics that matter to them, and contribute feedback that help guide future platform updates.

The benefits of this approach are two-fold: Acclinate gathers insight continuously so that sponsors can conduct more inclusive trials, while community members have always-on access to high-value health information and connection opportunities.

Why Community Engagement Must Start Earlier

Traditional clinical research equity engagement models activate only when a study is ready to recruit. By that point, timelines are tight and messaging is often rigid. Communities are asked to decide quickly, with limited context, about participation in systems that have historically overlooked them.

NOWINCLUDED addresses this gap by separating education from enrollment. Individuals can explore information, ask questions, and engage in dialogue without pressure. This approach creates familiarity and confidence long before a research opportunity is introduced.

When studies do become available, participation feels informed rather than rushed.

How NOWINCLUDED Builds Trust Over Time

Trust develops through consistency and relevance. Acclinate’s NOWINCLUDED supports these goals by maintaining an ongoing presence within communities, rather than appearing only when recruitment targets need to be met.

Key elements of this trust-building approach include:

• Health education that reflects real community concerns.
• Peer-to-peer discussion spaces that validate lived experience.
• Feedback loops that show how community input is used.

With NOWINCLUDED’s model, participants are treated as partners whose perspectives influence outcomes, rather than as audiences to be persuaded.

Our guiding philosophy aligns closely with themes explored across Acclinate’s thought leadership: trust is earned through action, transparency, and follow-through.

Turning Community Insight Into Better Health Designs

Acclinate’s NOWINCLUDED serves as a channel for surfacing insights that often go unheard. Through ongoing education and engagement, the platform surfaces how people understand healthcare, where confusion or mistrust shows up, and what barriers shape everyday decisions.

Those insights help support communities by:

• Improving access to clear, culturally relevant health education.
• Highlighting gaps in awareness around prevention, treatment options, and care pathways.
• Informing outreach that meets people where they are, rather than assuming one-size-fits all messaging.
• Encouraging more confident, informed decision-making across the healthcare journey.
• Connecting people through shared stories that normalize health experiences, reduce isolation, and build confidence in navigating care.

By listening first and sharing knowledge back with communities, NOWINCLUDED helps turn lived experiences into guidance that supports better health choices for individuals, families, and communities as a whole.

NOWINCLUDED’s Role in Advancing Health Equity

Health equity requires systems that listen as well as act. NOWINCLUDED provides a structured way to sustain that listening at scale.

By investing in and creating the space for education, dialogue, and long-term relationships, NOWINCLUDED helps healthcare organizations move toward inclusion that lasts beyond a single initiative. The outcome is stronger participation, better insight, and research that reflects the communities it aims to serve.

Ready to learn more about NOWINCLUDED? Schedule a 1:1 with our team.

Frequently Asked Questions: Acclinate’s NOWINCLUDED