In addition, the advocacy group Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has launched a program whereby trained associates assist patients by answering
questions about cancer clinical trials and find appropriate trials to consider enrolling in.16 Associates also help patients develop an individual list of
questions to bring to doctor appointments.
To increase awareness at individual centers, kiosks could be placed in hospital and clinic lobbies that list all clinical trials being conducted. Sites can
also institute procedures where all cancer patients are screened for available trials, and all eligible patients are approached by his or her oncologist
to participate in a trial. Letters can be sent to patients prior to their first study visit letting them know that research is the norm at your institution
and that they can expect to be asked to participate in a clinical trial.
Lessons learned from Moffitt Cancer Center…
Mobile technology and social media. Novartis Pharmaceuticals has
Moffitt recently instituted a practice of sending a letter to every patient
in its thoracic cancer center prior to their first clinic visit explaining that:
developed the smartphone applications ClinicalTrialSeek and VaxTrak,
• Clinical trials are the norm at the institution
• The patient should expect to be asked about participating
in a clinical trial
• The option of standard therapy is still available…
clinical trials that could be a fit based on treatment, disease, location,
One year after the letter process was instituted, the result
was an increase in accrual rates of 18% and approximately
81% of all eligible lung cancer patients were in a trial.
information from them. For example, tablet applications could be used to
which let patients search National Institutes of Health data for
development phase, or other study attributes. Clinical trials have not
yet capitalized on developments in smartphones or tablets, but the
devices could be used to disseminate information to patients or capture
clarify processes within trials, administer informed consent, and define
words in consent forms.
As with mobile technology, online social media offers a wealth of potential opportunities but few existing solutions. To date, success in using the
web for education and support has been limited to disease states with strong advocacy groups, as mentioned above. In 2011, Pfizer initiated a pilot
study of treatment for overactive bladder in which recruitment of patients was done through web-based advertising sites such as Craig’s List and
Facebook.17 The approach was successful in generating hits to informational web sites but not in driving enrollment. Yet interest in finding strategies
for tapping the potential of social media for recruitment remains high, and in August of 2013 the Society of Clinical Research Associates will host a
program on using social media in clinical research (for program information, visit http://www.socra.org/html/social_media.htm).
Increase insurance coverage. Increased coverage for trial participation would expand the population of oncology patients who can feasibly enroll in
studies. Advocacy for increased coverage is needed among stakeholders in government and industry. Steps individuals can take include contacting
members of the United States Congress or the leadership bodies of trade associations. Outcomes research related to the relative impacts of coverage
versus non-coverage would be beneficial for informing potential changes.
clinipace.com
8