ASH 2016 | The use of social media to reach out to patients and help improve clinical trials

Joseph Mikhael • 3 Dec 2016

ASH 2016

Joseph Mikhael, MD of Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ discusses the importance of social media to raise awareness, promote and improve clinical trials at the 2016 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, held in San Diego, CA. He explains that the focus of “Twitter 202” was to think about how Twitter and other social media platforms can be used to improve clinical trials. He describes how a panel of experts, with three key individuals, one patient and two clinical investigators from hematologic malignancy centers, used social media to reach out to patients and have them understand the principles of clinical trials and available trials. Prof. Mikhael then explains that although there are challenges with social media, it has a place in clinical research for patients, pharmaceutical companies and for clinical trialists that give the best care to patients.