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The purpose of this paper is to address a significant public mental health disparity affecting American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs): the shortage of clinical trials research analyzing the benefits of AI/AN traditional-based treatments, e.g. drumming.

A total of four focus groups were conducted among outpatient and inpatient AI/AN substance abuse patients and providers serving AI/ANs. The purpose of these focus groups was to obtain insights relating to the recent challenges of conducting a clinical trial within the outpatient treatment setting seeking to analyze the benefits of a new substance abuse treatment intervention utilizing drumming for AI/ANs [Drum-assisted Recovery Therapy for Native Americans (DARTNA)] and to obtain recommendations to successfully conduct a similar study within an inpatient treatment setting.

The most prevalent barriers to conducting a clinical trial within an outpatient setting were transportation and child care issues. Recommendations were obtained with regard to optimizing recruitment and retention for a future study within an inpatient setting.

This research offers the field rare information that helps toward identifying strategies to successfully conduct clinical trials investigating the benefits of culturally-appropriate treatments for AI/ANs with substance use disorders.