The pandemic shows what patients and their doctors can contribute to research
Most doctors don’t offer clinical research opportunities to their patients. Even patients in major cities like New York or Los Angeles are unlikely to find that their doctor can offer them a trial. This is particularly true in underserved communities, both urban and rural.
If there’s a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that we’ve been shown the way to massively expand the speed and reach of clinical trials, to the benefit of so many. By focusing on existing research, enrolling patients quickly, and moving through an expedited review process, the research community was able to test and create vaccines in record time.
Just as we have with COVID-19, we can make a mass scale change in research for patients with intractable health conditions, like cancer, dementia, and liver disease.
