Outsourcing
A real insight into the patient experience
Ask yourself whether you really know what it’s like to take part in a clinical trial, what it feels like for patients. Can we truly understand the discomfort, inconvenience and impacts of a trial? Talking to patients can get you halfway there, but what if you could undergo a clinical trial experience as a participant yourself? Would that change how you conduct trials? A Life in a Day is providing answers to these questions.
very year, tens of millions of patients take part in clinical studies. Each participant has a medical condition, of course, but each is also a person, living a busy, complex life. Each person has their own reason for participating, their own experiences of the study and their own challenges to overcome. Collectively, efforts are underway to make clinical trials as patient-centric as possible, with a real focus on logistics to make trials easier for patients. But are we considering the full complexity of human experience when we design and run trials? For years, A Life in a Day has been running immersive simulations where you become the patient. You live a normal day – at home, at work, at night – but you also experience simulated diagnostic tests and symptoms as well as interactive challenges of the impact of a disease on work, family and social life. For 24 hours, you walk in patient’s shoes, confronting their difficulties, realities and dilemmas, experiencing their challenges, choices and impacts.
E
According to a research paper, role- reversal simulations like A Life in a Day drive behavioural change. In the study, the health professionals who took part reported an increase in empathy for patients and they felt inspired to make changes in their practice.1 One nurse said: “It really opened my eyes to… what patients go through. It made me really choose my words carefully and allow more time for patients to respond.” Building on this, the programme has now been expanded to simulate the clinical trial experience. Designed through consultation with patients, the concept remains the same; you live your life as normal, but for three days you are immersed in dilemmas and
Clinical Trials Insight /
www.worldpharmaceuticals.net
Clinical trials can be stressful due to many factors, including important paperwork and regular screenings.
decisions patients face as they consider whether to take part in a clinical trial. “A holistic understanding of the patient experience will be invaluable in efforts to overcome the many challenges around recruitment and retention, and to make trials as patient-centric as possible. Experiences like A Life in a Day could be a game-changer for patient-centric trials,” says Loren Caldwell, senior manager at Parexel Patient Innovation Centre. The three-day simulation begins at a key moment – making the decision to take part in a clinical study. There’s a lot to consider; what impact will it have on your life? Will the drug help or make your condition worse? What if you receive placebo? After you take the giant leap to participate, you experience the patient’s medical condition, tackle consent forms and a rigorous screening process, undertake medication training and manage the paperwork – while still living your normal life.
Crucially, the programme includes space to reflect on your decision and the impacts of the trial on your life, work, family and mental well-being. The program is truly immersive; you feel the frustration a patient might feel when the research team can’t answer your questions or the anxiety of not knowing whether you’ve made the right decision for you and your loved ones. Every day, countless patients weigh the benefits and risks of taking part in a clinical trial. Few of us have taken part in a clinical study ourselves, yet the unique glimpse into a patient’s world offered by A Life in a Day can go a long way to provide the empathy and understanding needed to truly shape our clinical trials around patient need. ●
1
Ehibhatiomhan R., Foreman E., Barrott L. et al. BMC Nursing 2022;21:301.
www.alifeinaday.co.uk 11
New Africa/
Shutterstock.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53
