Tweet Chat: Uncovering Innovation in Clinical Trials

When you think of “innovation,” your mind might hop to entrepreneurs who pioneered new technologies - names like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk. But these are not the only people with the power to disrupt industries. Innovation can also be born from collaboration with others as we all discuss ways to improve existing processes.

That’s why, on International Clinical Trials Day, we hosted a tweet chat to generate conversation on #ClinicalTrialInnovation. Thank you to everyone who contributed - we were blown away by your thoughtful responses! If you didn’t have a chance to attend, we’ve broken down the key takeaways from each question below.

1. How would you define “innovation” when it comes to clinical trials? One theme was consistent across all of the responses: Innovation is about providing value to make life better for everyone. Because of that, it’s crucial to listen to the perspectives of the patients whose lives we’re trying to improve. Starting at the root will empower thoughtful, long-lasting innovation.

2. What recent innovations have you seen that have created a more patient-centric clinical trial experience? There was a great mix of responses for this question, with some outlining new technologies that have sparked innovation, while others focused more on a shift in thinking that created necessary change. At the end of the day, both low- and high-tech options are valuable in improving the experiences of clinical trial participants.

3. What technology do you think has been the most impactful for the patient experience? Technology has the potential to make clinical trials more accessible for participants. A few technologies mentioned include video conferencing, social media, smartphone apps, wearable devices, and text reminders. As these technologies are incorporated into clinical trials, it will be important to ensure that participants have all of the educational resources they need to make these solutions simple and efficient.

4. How can innovation lower barriers to participation in clinical trials? We need to use innovation to meet people where they are, and by doing so, can open the door for people who may not have had the access to clinical trials in the traditional model. In order to truly support clinical trial participation, we have to consider people’s needs holistically.

5. What is an innovation that you’re hoping to see in clinical trials in the near future? Our tweet chat participants outlined the benefits of innovations like telemedicine, online patient communities, customer service platforms, and expanded health literacy, among others. At the end of the day, future innovations will need to improve communication for patients in order to provide support, educational resources, and connection.

Feel free to message us on Twitter if you have a perspective on #ClinicalTrialInnovation that you’d like to share - we’re always happy to chat!