The power of patient perspectives in the publication of real-world studies

Patients have a unique first-hand insight into their condition, which can be a valuable asset in the design, delivery, and publication of real-world studies, as Envision Pharma Group’s Dr Dawn Lobban and Vitaccess’ Dr Catherine Bottomley discuss.

The value of championing the patient voice throughout the medicine development journey is evident. Patients have a unique understanding of their condition and can provide valuable insights into lived experience, unmet needs, and treatment impact, and yet, historically, detailed insights on the patient perspective have been largely lacking in data generated from clinical trials.

Amid growing interest in real-world evidence (RWE), generated outside of a clinical trial setting, acceptance and appreciation of the patient voice is shifting. Now, life science companies are actively exploring ways to work in partnership with patients to improve the design, delivery, and analysis of real-world studies. But whilst efforts to champion patient engagement in the early stages of study and protocol design have been widely demonstrated, few have explored the potential of extending the patient perspective to authorship and publication.

Patients have much to offer to the development and publication of real-world studies, yet, there is much to be done to improve awareness of the contributions these individuals can make to the peer-reviewed literature.

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