Clinical research has got a pretty bad name, especially following the Northwick Park disaster. But a new website – www.clinicalresearch.com – has been launched to explain to the public the critical role of research in developing therapies and cures.
As well as improving the understand and thereby reputation of clinical research with regards to safety, the initiative also aims to improve overall awareness of what clinical research is and how it benefits patients. According to Quintiles, the company behind the site, around three quarters of the general public have little or no knowledge of clinical research and the participation process. But now the public can visit the website, find clinical trials in their local area relevant to their condition, and even watch videos describing real-life patient experiences.
Clinical research is yet another example of the potential for pharma to communicate with the public online. While several roads are already blocked – and long may continue to remain so – this is an excellent opportunity to educate the public about the innovative work pharma does that is often under-recognised. Beyond websites, there are other routes to reach potential trial participants, most notably Twitter, discussed in the eyeforpharma article ‘Twitter and clinical trial patient recruitment’.
Ultimately, better communication means better/more research, which could mean better medicines.