Jumo Health Participates in a Tweet Chat with Experts in the Industry

 

Today is International Clinical Trials Day. To celebrate, we participated in a tweet chat with our friends at Eli Lilly and other experts in the industry about how innovation is taking hold in clinical trials. The conversation focused on how innovation should be centered on the patient and the importance of practical solutions that solve for the core issues. Read below for some of our thoughts on the topic in 280 characters or less

 

Question 1: How would you define “innovation” when it comes to clinical trials?

Thought #1: Innovation is intended to ease a burden or solve a problem. Jumo Health innovates by providing solutions that work the way people live. We do this to ensure mass appeal and broad utilization. Without this, innovation is simply fodder for textbooks.

Thought #2: All innovation in clinical trials should be centered around the patient. While some may think AI, at Jumo Health, we address core issues that prevent optimal outcomes and focus on age appropriate resources to overcome health literacy challenges.

Thought #3: A practical approach to innovation matters because the stats don’t lie. ~85% of all clinical trials experience delays. 50% of adults can’t read above an 8th grade level, and non-compliance hovers ~70%. Innovation should focus on the root cause.

Thought #4: Our definition of innovation is embodied in our product design and through a range of age appropriate offerings from comic books to animations  all of which are intended to allow patients to understand and act upon their health care instructions.

 

Question 2: What recent innovations have you seen that have created a more patient-centric clinical trial experience?

Thought #1: The paradigm shift of placing patients at the center of product design is finally taking hold in clinical trials. Will this innovation make an impact on increasing health literacy? If so, then achieving optimal outcomes and compliance is right behind.

Thought #2: The informed consent process is broken. We love when organizations take steps to produce materials that augment the med-legal requirements with patient-friendly, engaging, and actionable resources.

Thought #3: We applaud organizations that take a patient-first approach. Our friends at Eli Lilly used mixed media resources, tailored for each age cohort, to break down complex medical information and make the unknown less scary. Check it out here.

 

Question 3: CISCRP’s 2019 Perceptions and Insights Study found that technology is playing an increasingly larger role in clinical trials. What technology do you think has been the most impactful for the patient experience?

Thought #1: Even though the study was fielded before the COVID-19 pandemic, the future role of tech in patient-centered health care is tricky due to HIPAA and GDPR, and further complicated by those who are traditionally underserved without access to certain tech.

Thought #2: ePRO, eCOA, and telemedicine solutions have taken positive steps in the space to help increase access and ease the day to day. The platforms also require best in class educational resources to become a stronghold.

Thought #3: Virtual reality is just starting to play a role. Long study visits often increase the patient’s fear and anxiety. The immersive experiences provided help calm and distract participants while supporting overall well-being.

 

Question 4: How can innovation lower barriers to participation in clinical trials?

Thought #1: Innovation is not a panacea. Fundamental educational deficiencies plague the health care industry. To push  clinical trials forward using tech such as IBM Watson, we need to ensure patient-friendly materials are at the forefront of the experience.

Thought #2: Allow for a patient-friendly informed consent experience. Period. As study protocols become more complex, the onus is on us to ensure patients and caregivers can understand what is being asked of them. This upfront step will reduce dropout.

Thought #3: Informed consents are typically written at an 11th grade reading level; yet 50% of adults can’t read above an 8th grade reading level. 35% of people who dropped out of a clinical trial found the informed consent difficult to understand.

Thought #4: Businesses that reach out to the community physicians to ensure those traditionally underserved can benefit from novel approaches to treatment such as Elligo Health.

Thought #5: Mixed media resources that are available in the community will  ensure that every patient, regardless of educational attainment or socio-economic status, can understand, manage, and own their own health.

Question 5: What is an innovation that you’re hoping to see in clinical trials in the near future?

Thought #1: Enterprise tech such as IBM Watson shows promise but in order to more effectively impact patient care and outcomes, we are bullish on basic building blocks such as data analytics to identify key inflection points and customer service platforms.

Thought #2: Wearable devices that can help track a participant’s progress, send reminders and positive notes, and allow for easier communication between participants and site staff.

Thought #3: Customer service platforms! Treat a participant like a consumer. Innovation doesn’t need to re-invent the wheel  it often just needs to apply decades of learnings to health care.

Thought #4: Actionable patient resources! We are committed to solving the fundamental challenge that plagues the point of care by delivering patient-friendly, evidence-based, and peer reviewed resources.

Thought #5: A greater focus on pediatric trials both related to the RACE Act and among all disease types.

Thought #6: Expanded health literacy! We see a future where the statistic that 90% of the population are health literate  acting upon their physicians instructions to meet their end goals.

Thought #7: Solutions that bridge relationships between patients, the site staff, and the larger clinical trial community. Patients want a sense of connection and to be appreciated for their participation.