We’re in Barcelona, at a rare cancer conference, to discuss our digital tool designed to increase patient engagement in clinical trials.

In partnership with the Victory Net Foundation, we have been exploring ways, using storytelling and social media, in which to improve patient engagement and therefore recruitment for clinical trials.

In 2013 we raised £2million to fund a clinical trial. But the trial has been struggling to recruit patients – a problem that is common to a staggering 80-90% of all clinical trials.

We discovered that these recruitment problems are not because patients don’t want to take part in trials, or that the trials are no good.

The problem is a communication one.

Combining storytelling and social media

Patients often don’t know where to look to find clinical trials. And if they do discover a trial, perhaps via the Be Part of Research website, information about the trial is usually written in impenetrable medical jargon.

We have designed a digital tool, called You Trial, that combines storytelling and social media, and puts that power of clinical trial recruitment back into the hands of the patients.

We’re in Barcelona at the ENETS conference, where leading clinicians patient groups and charities come together to discuss the latest advances with Neuroendocrine tumour treatment.

We are showcasing and discussing You Trial with a view to refining the design before we move into the production phase.

Read all about You Trial in more detail.