Ideathon finalists look to the future

So INC Research/CISCRP’s inaugural Ideathon has come to an end – but this is just the beginning for the winners, and the other finalists who are trying to find ways to attract patients to clinical trials.

The winning team, C2: The Clinical Study Change Agent Collective, had a very simple idea, that could easily spread throughout the pharma industry.

They plan to build a corporate social responsibility programme around clinical trial recruitment, and can now start making their idea a reality thanks to the $10,000 prize for winning the competition.

The team estimates that getting 20 pharma companies on board could touch a million employees, and encourage them to take part in trials.

What's more the programme could use many of the other ideas presented at the event to encourage patients to get involved.

Judges chose the idea because it had longevity,momentum and begins at the very start of the patient journey.

But so many of the other ideas could also become successful and develop traction in the real world.

Social media played a role in many of the ideas and it's clear that there is a potential to create a buzz around the idea of clinical trials using platforms such as youtube, facebook and google.

And there were other proposals such as the one from UK-based Flex-e-Trial, which would use an app in doctors' surgeries to recruit patients to trial, using a matching algorithm like that used on price comparison websites.

In the US, the S.T.A.R Initiative proposed using an app to raise awareness about breast cancer trials among African American women. This would also use an app to match patients to the appropriate trial.

And the Virtual-Osity team wants to expand a real-world trial run by the Michael J Fox Foundation, which aims to gather data using a wearable device that will provide data about the lived experience of Parkinson's patients.

There was a huge buzz in Boston around the event – which will translate into new and innovative patient engagement ideas.

To view further exclusive coverage of the 2016 Inspiring Hope Ideathon, please click here.