<$BlogRSDUrl$> Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Internet Happenings, Events and Sources


Sunday, August 08, 2004  

Clinical Trials Site Demystifies Medical Jargon
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19274-2004Jul27.html

ClinicalTrials.gov is a federally funded database of clinical trials, open and accessible to the public. Part of the National Institutes of Health, it provides information about a trial's purpose, who may participate, locations, even phone numbers for more details. Led by Alexa McCray, director of the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications, the site has been embraced by millions of people trying to puzzle their way through the often Byzantine world of clinical trials. It currently includes information about 11,100 trials, including those carried out by NIH, other federal agencies and private industry. Trained in linguistics, McCray is a strong advocate of distilling complex medical terminology into simple, everyday language. The goal is to help prospective patients make informed choices, after weighing the benefits and risks of taking part in medical trials. Critics complain about the limited scope of the database, particularly when it comes to clinical trials carried out by the private drug industry. The American Medical Association, among others, say pharmaceutical companies should be forced to register details about the opening of a drug trial and its results, something which is currently optional. Some industry officials complain that such a requirement would compromise proprietary information. McCray believes mandatory registration would lead to more effective research. "Patients have the right to this kind of information, whether it's clinical trials data or the latest literature on medical breakthroughs or just getting a better understanding of some condition that you or a family member suffers from."

posted by Marcus Zillman | 4:05 AM
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