INC, CISCRP ‘Ideathon’ looks for new ways to raise awareness
As Outsourcing-Pharma.com previously reported, the partnership between INC and CISCRP (the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation) is the first of its kind. The strategic partnership was announced earlier this year.
“Clinical research is vital to the development of new drugs and treatments and is entirely dependent on the people who volunteer to participate in studies, but less than 5% of people actually take part,” said
Clare Grace, VP, Site and Patient Access at INC Research. “It’s critical that we work together as an industry to encourage participation.”
According to CISCRP Founder Ken Getz, the Ideathon will bring everyone to the table to discuss new ideas and creative ways to raise awareness of clinical trials among both healthcare professional and the general public.
“There are numerous creative and innovative ideas that have been percolating among stakeholders throughout the clinical research enterprise to address the low level of public and patient awareness,” Getz, told us.
The companies are encouraging all stakeholders in the clinical research enterprise to take part.
“Our goal is to build a community of problem solvers who are interested in making a difference to the broader community and can bring unique perspectives to the table,” said Grace. “Ultimately, the best collective ideas will inspire new thinking, new approaches, and new solutions.”
Eventually, INC and CISCRP will select the top ideas based on comprehensive criteria, and the finalist will have an opportunity to present their ideas to the community. Grace said any ideas are welcome.
“The Ideathon is a new style of event that involves rapidly solving a problem with a large group of people in an innovative and competitive style,” she added. While these types of events are often used in the technology industry, they haven’t been used to help solve challenges faced in clinical research.
“We're hopeful that this initial event, and the collaboration between INC Research and CISCRP, will create a lot of momentum and will spur future events. But we also expect that we're going to receive so many great ideas that will take on a life of their own after the event has ended,” said Getz “The Ideathon raises awareness about creative and innovative solutions that will stimulate interest and generate support within individual organizations and as a collective enterprise.”
The application period runs from June 1 to August 8. A shortlist of finalists will be announced in mid-August and invited to attend the Ideathon event September 27 to 28 in Boston.
INC will also be sponsoring other CISCRP programs and events throughout the year, such as AWARE for All and Medical Heroes, in addition to collaborating on the development of future patient awareness events.
