Access is made easier with a new clinical trial database
A new clinical trial database is being launched that will make it easier to find out about the different clinical trials taking place. This could prove beneficial to researchers, doctors, patients, policy makers, journalists, academics, funding bodies and the broader public.
OpenTrials launches
The new database of clinical trials, called OpenTrials, was launched in beta. According to AllTrials, the database will draw together information from multiple sources and be presented in various formats. These sources include clinical trials data from the US government, the World Health Organisation, drug companies, journals, regulatory documents and other sources.
How OpenTrials will work
Essentially, OpenTrials will work in a similar way to a search engine, whereby users can make advanced searches by filtering results based on criteria such as the type of drug or disease. Researchers may want to seek information about a particular drug, doctors may wish to discover whether experts have assessed specific trials, and patients may want to identify trials they are eligible to take part in. When it comes to keeping the data they are very secure and follow the strict GDPR guideliness which states once clients information is no longer needed it will need a confidential shredding service like from sites including https://www.printwaste.co.uk/confidential-shredding/
Users will be able to find information on clinical trial results, press releases, trial protocols and patient consent forms.
The purpose behind OpenTrials
The idea behind creating a new database of clinical trials was to enable better transparency of information regarding clinical research and to make this information available to the public.
With the wider emphasis on improving clinical trial services, providing a database is another step towards making clinical trial information more efficient, consistent and reliable.
Transparency of information regarding clinical trials has been a concern for a long time. It has proved difficult to keep track of information, to audit it correctly and to identify discrepancies regarding trial data. The aim of the new database is to close these gaps by drawing together all the relevant and available information on clinical trials.
The purpose of OpenTrials is not only to disclose information about individual clinical trials but also to enable people to see how sectors, companies, funders and researchers are performing in this area. In addition to seeing which trials or companies are succeeding, it will reveal who or what is failing in terms of results or the provision of information; in addition, it will highlight areas where standards may need to be improved.
