I recall writing my nursing degree dissertation 30 years ago on the ‘Passive Role of the Patient’. I was concentrating on diabetic patients in hospital undergoing treatment for reasons other than their diabetes. Management of their diabetes was taken away from them the moment they put on a gown and slippers; upon discharge from hospital, control returned and they resumed as masters of their condition! Now working in clinical trials, I am pleased to see that the terms ‘patient centricity’ and ‘patient empowerment’ are becoming common in our day-to-day language.
The time when all clinical trial visits were conducted at site has passed. We now see a hybrid between the site and home. The associated popularity of mobile research nursing services is widely seen as a positive move. We can now design clinical trials to better suit the needs and desires of the patients and give sites the support they deserve.
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