U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Environmental Factor

Environmental Factor

Your Online Source for NIEHS News

May 2018

All of Us research program begins enrollment

The All of Us Research Program announces national enrollment of adults from all backgrounds, regardless of health status.

On May 6, the All of Us Research Program will begin national enrollment. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) invites people ages 18 and older, regardless of health status, to join this momentous effort to advance individualized prevention, treatment and care for people of all backgrounds. All of Us is expected to be the largest and most diverse long-term health research program ever developed.

Participants will be asked to share different types of health and lifestyle information, using online surveys and electronic health records that will continue to be collected over the course of the program. Those who join will have access to study information and data about themselves and can choose how much or little they want to receive.

All of Us journey (Photo courtesy of NIH)

Data that are collected will be broadly accessible to researchers of all kinds, including citizen scientists, to support thousands of studies across a wide range of different health topics. By doing so, they are hoping to discover how to more precisely prevent and treat other health conditions. Knowledge gained from this research could help researchers improve health for generations to come.

Important for patients and health care providers

Health care is often structured as so-called one size fits all and thus is not able to fully consider differences in individuals’ lifestyles, environments, or biological makeup. This is because we have limited data from past research studies about how those elements interact.

The average patient is often prescribed drugs and treatments as if they are all the same. Learning more about the differences between individuals can help researchers develop tailored treatments and care for all people.

Today there are too few conditions with evidence and options for individualized care. Because providers’ time is limited, there is rarely time for them to analyze the results to best help the patient. More data, discoveries, and tools can help providers to give their patients customized care more easily.

Watch live on May 6 Watch the live launch on the NIH All of Us website. (Photo courtesy of NIH)

Diversity matters

Historically, many segments of the U.S. population have been left behind in medical research, including people of color, sexual and gender minorities, those with lower socioeconomic and educational status, rural communities, and other groups. The result is significant health disparities.

The All of Us Research Program seeks to help fill in the gaps of information about those communities that previously have not been well represented.

How to Join

All of Us seeks one million or more people from all walks of life to participate in this historic endeavor. Those interested in joining the program can do so by visiting, www.JoinAllofUs.org. Enrollment is open to all eligible adults who live in the United States.


Back To Top