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International Clinical Trials Day

at Friday, May 24, 2013


This week, we were pleased to see the importance of healthcare research highlighted with various campaigns running across the country to raise awareness of clinical trials. 

International Clinical Trials Day is held on 20 May each year in commemoration of the day James Lind began the first ever clinical trial. The date also offers an opportunity for those working in the research field to take action and raise the profile of clinical research.

Lind’s experiment in 1747 was, not surprisingly, run under very different conditions than today. As outlined by The Guardian, it included a mere 12 men, grouped into pairs and given a variety of dietary supplements to assess the causes of scurvy. The supplements ranged from cider to oranges and lemons.  

Despite the short timeframe (6 days), Lind was able to argue the case for a link between citrus fruits and scurvy and so began the realisation that eating your five-a-day is beneficial for your health!

The UK’s theme this year – “It’s OK to ask” – is centred around the notion that, while clinical research is thriving in the NHS, there is little understanding among the general public. The new campaign, pioneered by England’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), encourages patients to ask their doctors about clinical-research opportunities and aims to improve understanding. 

Last year, over 595,000 patients took part in clinical trials in the UK and it seemed to Pharma Times that the trend for research participation was growing. However, a new poll from the NIHR has revealed that more than one third of people do not feel well informed about clinical research and fewer than 20% would feel comfortable asking their doctor about potential trials.

The poll also revealed that:
21% were aware that carrying out research was a key activity for the National Health Service 
82% felt it was important for the NHS to offer research participation
And fewer than 7% said they would never take part in clinical-research

It’s also interesting to note that, although the public showed a high level of trust in the NHS, they were deeply suspicious of clinical trials carried out by pharmaceutical companies and were completely unaware of the level of collaboration between the two. The poll also revealed a lack of understanding of the processes surrounding clinical trials and a struggle to understand concepts such as a placebo or blinded study.

To tackle these misunderstandings, the NIHR asked health organisations to consider staging a ‘mock clinical trial’ on International Clinical Trials Day. The idea was to use chocolate (or a confectionery of choice) in a mock trial.  Volunteers, including patients and staff, were taken through the study process; enlightening them on the nature of clinical trials, giving them an opportunity to ask questions and prompting some of them to take part. 

Click here for more information on the trial protocol and to find out who did take part.

Authored by Lisa Stevens


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19 April 2013: Tudor Reilly MD shortlisted for the First Women Awards
Tudor Reilly managing director Julie Walters has been shortlisted for the prestigious First Women Awardsrecognising pioneering UK women in business who have provided opportunities for others.

The judging panel recognised Julie’s remarkable career, from being one of the first female journalists to enter Kuwait with the troops in 1992, to setting up and growing Tudor Reilly from a three-person start-up to a successful healthcare communications consultancy.

Julie’s vision has driven Tudor Reilly’s groundbreaking work building patient-centred online communities for e-patients. Our online communities www.practicalalzheimers.com and www.hepatitiscnews.com, which are among the first of their kind, have thousands of visitors each week, providing e-patients and their carers with help on managing these conditions.

The panel also recognised Julie’s passion for female empowerment in business. She is a member of the International Womens’ Federation and president of the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation in the UK. There is a strong ethos of equality within Tudor Reilly, evidenced by the fact that nine of our fourteen staff, and two of our three directors, are women.

Recognising Julie’s career, Edna Kissmann, former chief executive of Burston Marsteller (UK) says: “Julie Walters has a vision of excellence in the health communications business. Her actions always focused on two factors: getting to the end goal, and ensuring that many join her on the journey - because it is exciting and fulfilling, and because much good happens along the way.”

Julie says: “It’s an honour to be shortlisted for this award alongside some incredibly successful women. The First Women Awards’ recognition of outstanding women in business, especially those who provide opportunities for others, is incredibly important, and I’m delighted to be a part of it.”

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