Let's talk medical research

Minority participation in medical research is important for all conditions, but is critical for ailments that disproportionately impact people of color, like lupus.

We know that life with lupus can be difficult at times. And while there's no cure, there is hope: through medical research, we can improve the lives of people living with or affected by lupus — and maybe one day, find a cure.

Every drug that is on the market today went through clinical trials before it could hit pharmacy shelves. These trials are a way for researchers to evaluate whether new drugs or potential treatments work and are safe for the people living with the condition they are meant to treat. The importance of this research cannot be overstated — but there's a problem. Patients need to take part in clinical trials in order for research to happen, and today, fewer than five percent of patients do so. Medical progress isn't accelerating at the pace that it could, and patients continue to wait for answers.

Today, 30 million people in the United States are living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). It's often not diagnosed until patients reach the later stages of the disease, and is often associated with other conditions such as anemia and heart disease.

Successful clinical trial advertising engages patients and encourages them to join your trial, while adhering to the strict guidelines laid out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Getting creative within these confines can be a challenge, but with the right research and strategy, your ads can strike the appropriate balance.

Around 25 million people live with asthma in the United States – 8% of the population. More than a third of adults with asthma miss work because of symptoms in a given year. It's clear that people with asthma whose symptoms aren't well controlled on their current medications have a need for new options.

A major challenge in clinical trial advertising is being creative in your outreach materials while following FDA guidelines. While it can take more time and research to craft copy within such narrow parameters, it is definitely possible to engage patients without breaking the rules.

Liver disease affects 3.1 million people living in the United States. The most common causes of liver failure include hepatitis B and C, long-term alcohol consumption, and cirrhosis. Research is investigating better treatments for a variety of liver diseases, as well as the mechanisms in the body that lead to liver disease.

Clinical trial patient recruitment is a time-consuming, pricy, and critical part of getting a new trial off the ground. The idea of spending more time to create a detailed plan in advance may not sound particularly appealing, but using a template can actually speed up recruitment timelines in the long run.

There are several ways to increase patient recruitment in your clinical trials, from improving your outreach materials, to better communicating with patients, to working with partners to make the right connections. But the first step is to figure out why your outreach efforts aren't working in the first place. From there, you can find the solution that has the best chance of attracting more interested, eligible patients to your trial.