Social Media Plays Crucial Role In Patient Recruitment For Diabetes Clinical Trial
Trending Now: Social media improves clinical study operations.
Dr. Frank Waldron-Lynch from the University of Cambridge implemented a research study to analyze the performance of three recruitment sources and the effect of publicity events surrounding a trial that focused on recruiting patients for a Phase I study for Type I diabetes (T1D). The recruiting sources were clinics, a T1D disease registry, and the Internet, including a dedicated website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed. The team was able to successfully complete the study 11 months ahead of schedule and continue the development of the treatment in subsequent studies. A total of 735 potentially eligible participants were approached to identify the final 45 T1D study participants.
64% were identified via the disease registry, but only 12% of those already registered
responded to contact.
Self-referral via the study website generated 54% of registered individuals and was the most popular and successful source, with 28% sourced directly using online platforms from diabetes clinics and 19% from the established disease register.
In addition, the Internet extended beyond the geographical reach of the study, enabling both national and international participation.
Targeted website posts and promotional events from organizations supporting T1D
research and treatment during the trial were essential to the success of the Internet
recruitment strategy.
L2FU Launches New Website to Find Trial Dropouts
L2FU (Lost to Follow Up), a global leader in the specialized area of locating clinical trial patients lost to follow up, has launched a new website that articulates its unique approach and expertise in the field.
The L2FU site features case studies and a blog with useful tips and best practices for maintaining clinical trial integrity and minimizing missing data by locating patients lost to follow up quickly and efficiently. In addition to providing more information on L2FU services, the company’s leadership team hopes the site can serve as a resource for optimizing clinical trial success.
L2FU has successfully located patients in more than 60 countries to date and has a proven success rate of 90% for L2FU searches.
L2FU also provides tips and best practices via its company blog and its guide to lost to follow up management, Maintaining Clinical Trial Integrity & Minimizing Missing Data: The Official Guide To Lost To Follow Up Management. The guide is available by visiting L2FU.net and clicking download the booklet at the top of the page.
Mobile Asthma Clinical Study Reports Initial Findings
Earlier this year, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and LifeMap Solutions launched a large-scale medical research study that uses the Apple’s ResearchKit framework to make it easy for individuals who suffer from asthma to participate in studies from their iPhone.
The app is designed to facilitate asthma patient education and self-monitoring, promote positive behavioral changes, and reinforce adherence to treatment plans according to current asthma guidelines. The study tracks symptom patterns in an individual and potential triggers for these exacerbations so that researchers can learn new ways to personalize asthma treatment.
The app is the first of a series of disease-related medical research apps planned for development that will incorporate electronic consent or e-consent to recruit, consent, and enroll research participants remotely via the app without direct, in-person contact during any phase of the study.
LifeMap Solutions is working with the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology at Mount Sinai to develop big data analytics algorithms that will process the unprecedented volume of study data. These algorithms could lead to new discoveries about asthma and improved chronic disease management and help optimize individual patient care and choices.
In the first few days of launch, 3,500 people downloaded the app, and almost 8,000 people are enrolled to date. LifeMap reports that so far more than half of the users who downloaded the app completed the e-consent process and used the app the next day.
The data show that Asthma Health users respond to the same types of encouragement as users of other apps. There is a higher number of user sessions on Mondays, after a weekend automated reminder.
LifeMap reports that each weekly high point of user engagement corresponds to an automated reminder pushed to users. The spikes in app usage are consistent with the type of behavior seen in apps more broadly: users respond dramatically to regular reminders.
The research study behind Asthma Health will run for about a year and researchers at Mount Sinai will publish further scientific findings. (PV)
