Let's talk medical research

November is National COPD Awareness Month. COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. Eleven million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with COPD, and experts estimate that millions more may be undiagnosed. Read more

Patient-centric clinical trial design begins with having conversations with patients. Though it's important to do this work in person, technology can help support your efforts, too. From study design to follow up, today's clinical trial tools offer more ways than ever to connect with patients who are actively interested in clinical trial participation, and keep them engaged throughout your trial. Read more

Clinical trial patient recruitment can be difficult for any trial, but like with most challenges, technology can help. Though digital advertising is quite ubiquitous these days, it still lags in popularity for patient recruitment. In fact, in a small survey of research sites we conducted (n=55), just 27% used digital patient recruitment. Read more

The patient experience of traveling to clinical research sites, no matter the indication, can often be burdensome and time consuming. A variety of reasons can account for this experience, including lack of reliable transportation, associated travel costs or any possible physical obstacles the patient may face. Of all these concerns, though, one thing is certain: patient travel is proving ... Read more

In our Delivering on Diversity series, we’ve spoken with Clinical Ambassador CEO and Founder Allison Kalloo about a variety of topics related to minority engagement in medical research. Read more

It's a common belief that patients aren't interested in participating in clinical trials. Patient recruitment challenges appear to support this assumption – 80% of trials face delays because of recruitment, after all. But surveys from patient advocacy organizations like CISCRP show that at least 75% of patients are willing to take part in trials. So why is recruitment such a slow – and expensive ... Read more

When developing the protocol for a clinical trial, it's important to consider the potential benefit for patients taking part. At the same time, it's also crucial to consider the possible burden the trial may place on patients, too. Scheduling difficulties, transportation issues, and confusing directions can all create an unpleasant experience for patients that can ultimately lead to dropouts from ... Read more

Video content is booming, especially on social media platforms like Facebook, where users now spend more time interacting with video than viewing text or image-based content. But knowing where to start and how to get the content right can be confusing. Read more

Even as online advertising has become more and more popular, some clinical trial sponsors and research sites remain hesitant to completely invest in it. In a small survey of research sites we conducted (n=55), just 27% used digital patient recruitment, and of them, only 9% cited it as their most successful channel. Misconceptions remain about digital recruitment, and while it is true that online ... Read more

Imagine what it would be like to not know what is happening inside your body. Then imagine going to your doctor and finding out that they are unable to diagnose your disease. This is a reality for many rare disease patients. Thankfully, research has made it possible to not only identify rare diseases, but also improve our understanding of them. Read more