“Patient Centricity” Must Be More than a Cliché: A Letter to the Clinical Research Community

摘要

Like many of you, I am bombarded with articles on the topic of “patient centricity.” By the sheer volume of these articles, one would think the important role played by patients in clinical trials is a freshly discovered concept. Of course, it is not. For decades, courageous patients have raised their hands to support clinical research in a very personal way — by volunteering to subject themselves to the uncertain risks of new drugs, devices or therapies. So, how do we treat these patient heroes? Listening carefully to their voices, it’s evident that our treatment falls far short of what they deserve. I would like to ask perhaps the most important question: “Who speaks for the patient volunteers.