Unfortunately, many clinical trials have limitations. For example, see Pharma Reps Need to Provide Solid Info. And often they are not patient centric enough. And that is too bad. Thus, we now look at patient centricity in clinical trials as a core strategy.
Better Applying Patient Centricity in Clinical Trials
Recently, News Medical conducted an interview with Dr. Paresh Malhotra. He is a Consultant Neurologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Located in the UK.
Excerpts follow:
Q: Clinical trials are extremely important to the scientific community but many trials still lack in putting patients at the center of them. Why is this?
A: When academic researchers start designing clinical trials, I think it is often possible to “lose sight of the wood for the trees.” The immediate and most pressing focus becomes obtaining funding for a trial.
Q: How has patient-centricity changed within clinical trials over the last 10 years?
A: In academic medicine, at least, I think patient-centricity has undoubtedly become more of a focus in the design and implementation of trials. Also, people can access medical data about themselves online and collect measures using smartwatches and other devices. Following on from all this, patients and their families expect a different approach to medical care and clinical trials.
Q: Why do you believe it is important to put patients at the forefront of research?
A: Many of the findings in medical research that we think of as hard facts are in fact the results of studies carried out with extremely homogeneous groups that do not reflect the society in which we live.
Q: What do you believe the future of patient centricity within clinical trials to look like?
A: Patient-centricity will be as fundamental as ethical approval. Patient and care giver input is already part of trial design and funding in many cases, and this will become the norm.
To read more of the interview, click the image.
