B - Patient perspectives and clinical research

Crowe S, Giles C. Making patient relevant clinical research a reality. BMJ 2016;355:i6627
(doi: 10.1136/bmj.i6627)

A wide gap exists between what generally receives funding and what patients, carers, and the public would like to see examined. Incorporating patient perspectives more thoroughly into clinical research would broaden its scope and help answer the research questions likely to bring about the biggest improvements in our understanding of disease. Nevertheless several problems underlie our current inability to make research relevant to patients and the wider public. The BMJ already insists that all submitted research includes a statement describing how the authors did or did not involve patients. The journal also operates a system of patient peer review. If other medical journals follow suit, the message about patient relevant research is more likely to be heard.
http://www.bmj.com/content/355/bmj.i6627


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