The All of Us Research Program partnered with the National Library of Medicine to support its enrollment efforts, the program announced Nov. 29.
The National Library of Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health, will receive $4.5 million during a three-year pilot program to support community engagement efforts by public libraries across the U.S. By involving the National Library of Medicine in the project, officials aim to highlight the potential for public libraries to serve as a technology resource for participants who may not have access to digital resources at home.
The All of Us Research Program, a program of the NIH's precision medicine initiative, aims to engage more than 1 million participants to share biological samples, genetic data and lifestyle information. The program — which will serve as a national research resource to inform future precision medicine studies — launched its beta stage in June.
The pilot program will assess these community engagement efforts to identify best practices for public outreach and will evaluate the impact of local libraries on participant enrollment and retention.
"Libraries serve as vital community hubs, and this collaboration presents a perfect opportunity to help the public understand how health research impacts all of us," said Patricia Flatley Brennan, RN, PhD, director of the National Library of Medicine.