From recruitment to reporting, biopharma companies are branching out in their efforts to reach patients directly about their clinical research. Naturally, researchers and sponsors are turning to the internet as a way to get information out into the world, but are they doing enough to ensure that websites deliver real value to patients, caregivers, and other stakeholders?
What’s the last really big decision you made? Perhaps it was a major purchase, such as a new house or car. Maybe it was about a job offer, or where to go to school? As you considered your options, what did you want to know? Where did the best information come from?
The better we feel about the process of making decisions, the more confidence we have in whatever choice we ultimately make. That’s why having clear information from sources we trust is so important in feeling supported and secure as we weigh our options.
This holds true for patients who are considering joining a clinical trial.
The ability to recruit patients for clinical trials is the bedrock of the pharmaceutical research enterprise. But as medicine has evolved towards treatments that are targeted down to the individual genetic level, recruitment efforts have not always been able to keep up. In fact, up to 2 out of 3 trials fail to meet their recruitment goals, while 40 percent of trial cancellation is due to insufficient enrollment. And a lack of diversity in the participant population continues to be a challenge.
In response, biopharma companies are using the internet to raise awareness about their clinical trials. However, increased awareness is only a first step, and simply explaining the primary endpoint at a certain reading grade level will also fall short when it comes to offering real support to people as they make decisions around clinical research participation.
Patients want to know what it’s like being in a clinical trial, whether people like them have joined, and how the commitments of participation will impact their lives.
Our friends at Trialscope are concerned with ways biopharma companies can maximize transparency in their disclosure activities to ensure patients feel supported and understand the bigger picture, while also meeting regulatory requirements.
Their recent ‘Clicking with Patients’ webinar was a great opportunity to reach an audience of clinical trials professionals to talk about practical strategies developers can use to deliver clinical trials information that hits the mark.
Best of all, the webinar is archived and you can watch it free!