Dear Readers,
As we share with you our first newsletter of 2021, we must acknowledge the harsh challenges that defined 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our way of life. It has disrupted the routines that we took for granted, and for some of us, it has brought deep and lasting loss. It has also highlighted the harsh racial inequalities that continue to exist. We find as a society that there is healing needed on many levels. As we welcome the hope that comes from several promising vaccines, we are also reminded of the importance of clinical research. Further, we are reminded of the importance of clinical research education, and of ensuring equal access to information and to treatment across all communities.
Like so many of our readers, the CISCRP staff has become used to a new way of working, of interacting. With our Boston office closed during the pandemic, we have explored different ways of communicating with each other, and importantly, of furthering our mission. We remain dedicated to helping people better understand clinical research and make informed decisions. As vaccines have taken center stage in the media, we have recognized a need for more information about vaccine development and drug development in general.
We are pleased to share some of the ways in which we have begun to address this need:
- Together with several leading pharmaceutical companies, developed a series of animated educational videos and clips about clinical research, including vaccine development
- Supported “Operation Warp Speed” sponsors by volunteering our plain language expertise in the development of trial results summaries, medical journal articles, and other media
- Launched diversity and inclusion projects across our company to make sure that we engage under-served communities, listen to their voices, and develop our educational materials with their input
- Changed our AWARE for All program to a fully virtual model, including targeted educational content to address concerns about COVID-19 vaccines
We continue to expand our service offerings and educational content to shine a light on the realities of clinical research. Especially during the pandemic, clear communication about clinical trials is critical. In this issue of our newsletter, we share a conversation with Medical Hero Jackie Zimmerman. Jackie knows well the roles of patient, trial participant, and patient advocate. Here, she shares how communicating with others about her MS diagnosis led her to become a patient advocate.
In celebration of Medical Heroes like Jackie, CISCRP has kicked off this year’s Appreci-a-thon. We invited people to join this virtual fitness challenge starting March 1st of this year. The event runs through March 31st, so it is not too late to sign up!
Coming up this Spring, we will be offering 2 virtual AWARE for All events: a Northeast program on April 15, 2021, and a Northwest program on May 20, 2021.
It is free to sign up for the Appreci-a-thon and the AWARE for All events. We hope you will join us as we continue to honor Medical Heroes and participate in important discussions about clinical research. Please visit our Events page for more information on these and other upcoming events.
Thank you for your continued support as we build upon our existing resources and explore new ways to carry out our mission. We look forward to connecting with you again in our Summer edition.
Warm Regards,
Brandis Pickard
Senior Manager, Editorial
