On Thursday, June 11th, MassBio hosted Clinical Trials in the Age of Social Media: Strategies for Increasing Trial Awareness and Patient Recruitment, part 2 of the 4-part Forum #HarnessHCSM series. A full house heard from a diverse panel of industry leaders.
We’ve compiled a list of key takeaways from the event to keep you up to speed on this hot topic!
1) DON’T BE AFRAID
Yes, there is a laundry list of rules and regulations when it comes to social media and engaging with patients but Dawn Fenton, Clinical Operations Lead at Biogen, empowered the audience to be bold.
“We can’t be afraid. We can’t let rules and regulations stop us from using social media to reach patients.”
Bottom line: Know the rules and understand them, but don’t let them stop you from putting the patient first and using social media as an avenue to engage patients on a new level.
2) Social listening is key
Social listening was a big buzzword discussed throughout the entirety of the Forum. Panelists urged the audience to listen to patients on social media to help identify gaps in patient education, avoid search for “unicorn subjects” in clinical trials, find patients who can contribute content and serve as a support system for fellow patients, and to help design a strategy for how to engage with patients.
3) There’s more to social media than Facebook and Twitter
When we hear “social media” our minds often jump right to the most popular social media sites. Social media reaches far beyond Facebook and Twitter and it is important to explore other avenues when it comes to patients and clinical trials. Medical social networking sites are quickly gaining traction such as patientslikeme and My MS Team.
4) “Stop being so clinical!”
“Stop being so clinical!” A valuable exclamation from Sally Okun, Vice President for Advocacy, Policy, and Patient Safety at PatientsLikeMe. Use social listening to understand the way patients talk about their experiences and then use those insights to shape your messaging and better connect with patients.
5) Be transparent
Patients don’t like being kept in the dark. Do your best to help patients to understand how important the integrity of the trial is while also disclosing as much as you can to help them feel in the know. Be honest! Patients will appreciate your candor.
Additional Resources
Want to hear more insight from the Clinical Trials in the Age of Social Media Forum?
- Read panelist Aaron Fleishman’s insights on the Forum in his blog post
- Check out our Storify from the Forum
- MassBio Members: Stream the event through the MassBio Member Portal
- Join us for part 3 of the #HarnessHCSM series on July 29: Social Media: Bridging Your Career, Your Employees & Your Company