Why Clinical Trial Content Creation is Hard

By: David Grew MD MPH

"PRIMR is the all in one solution for clinical trial content, offering efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness."

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Almost uniformly, when I open the door to greet a patient in the exam room, they are on their phone - usually scrolling social media (as we do).  For better or worse, this is largely how we do knowledge transfer as a society.  Short, digestible bites that are simple enough to be consumed at scale.  We do not read glossy tri-fold fliers anymore.  And so there is increasing appetite among doctors and clinical trial leaders to meet patients where they are - to provide them with video-first content they can consume on their own mobile device.

However, executing content production can be a hassle, from medical copywriting to graphics and audio-video editing. Sourcing individual experts is time-consuming and expensive.  Coordinating disparate siloed roles can be a logistical nightmare. 

Enter PRIMR, a game-changer in clinical trial video production.

In this blog, we uncover the challenges trial sponsors and PI teams encounter in piecing together these roles separately and how PRIMR's all-in-one solution stands out for its efficiency, speed, cost-effectiveness, and seamless coordination. 

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Why Traditional Roles are a Challenge

1. Medical Copywriting:

• Challenge: Sourcing skilled medical copywriters is akin to finding a needle in a haystack, a time-consuming and expensive endeavor.  
• Impact: The right medical copywriter ensures clear, concise, and accurate communication of trial details. But because of how time-consuming it is, it can lead to delays in simply rolling the content creation process up to the starting line.  

2. Graphics:

• Challenge: Graphic designers, often working on various projects, pose a scheduling challenge, causing potential conflicts and slower turnaround times.  They typically lack the medical knowledge to accurately represent clinical therapies visually on the first attempt.
• Impact: A skilled graphic designer transforms data into visually compelling graphics. Considering the uniqueness of trials, medical information accuracy, and possible gaps in communication, slower turnaround times could ensure and potential inconsistencies in visual elements can hinder the effectiveness of trial-related content. 

3. Audio-Video Editing:

• Challenge: Finding professionals skilled in clinical trial content editing is challenging due to the unique blend of medical expertise and video production skills required.
• Impact:  A proficient editor ensures that the video not only meets aesthetic standards but also accurately conveys client requirements. Given the high ethical standards of clinical trial videos, presenting critical medical information demands extra attention to detail. This causes prolonged production timelines since the potential for misrepresentation of trial data can compromise the integrity of the video.

4. Medical Expert Consultant:

• Challenge: Locating and coordinating with subject matter experts can be a prolonged process, given their tight schedules and the need to navigate various trial complexities.  Key opinion leaders are busy and will add significant cost.
• Impact: Access to a medical expert guarantees that the video aligns with the highest medical standards, providing an authoritative voice for the trial. In order to obtain accurate and relevant medical insights, a period of validating information is needed, which can impede the progress of the project. 

5. IRB Quality Assurance:

• Challenge: Ensuring compliance with IRB standards involves intricate processes, meticulous documentation, and a lot of boxes to check.  Subtle differences in copywriting or design decisions can trigger additional review or delays.
• Impact: IRB quality assurance guarantees that the video meets ethical standards, safeguarding the rights and well-being of trial participants. However, protracted approval times risk delays in overall project timelines and may impact the adherence to ethical standards. 

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P-R-I-M-R, an All-In-One Solution

Professional Copywriting:

PRIMR stands out in professional copywriting as it's led by our team of board-certified physicians. This background provides a unique advantage, ensuring that complex medical information is not only accurately translated but also presented in lay language. The credibility and reliability of PRIMR stem from years of medical training and thousands of hours of conversations explaining complex subjects to real patients and their families.  With this, we streamline converting intricate details into accessible and comprehensive content.

‍Resourceful Graphics:

PRIMR's approach to graphics is more than innovative; it's resourceful. Each project starts with a doctor's sketch, as if he or she were drawing it on the exam table paper for a real patient. With connections to international medical graphics talent, PRIMR ensures that technical medical requirements are translated into aesthetically pleasing, patient-friendly visuals. By deeply understanding clinical trial team requirements and providing detailed instructions, PRIMR minimizes the back-and-forth communication with designers. The emphasis on doctor-led storyboarding at the outset guides designers while allowing creative freedom.  Consistency in portraying medical concepts is a priority, preventing confusion and ensuring a cohesive visual narrative. Notably, preparing graphics in this meticulous way allows them to be readily converted into assets for seamless social media distribution. This dual-purpose strategy ensures consistent visual language across platforms and maximizes the reach and impact of the clinical trial message.

Insightful Video Collaboration:

PRIMR excels in video collaboration, with creative insights and data-driven critiques guiding the overall collaborative process. With open communication and direct feedback, designers can work on projects within timelines while maintaining a consistent, patient-friendly style sticking to what is showcased in our libraries. PRIMR's approach is not just about conveying information with colorful graphics, but also ensuring it is presented in the most accurate, impactful, and understandable manner.  The final product is crafted based on what we know patients like based on data from millions of impressions and hundreds of thousands of videos viewed.

‍Medical Expert Consultation:

PRIMR's strength in medical expert consultation lies in its access to a network of doctors and patient advocates. Leveraging experience in the medical field, PRIMR taps into resources with relevant insights, ensuring that content undergoes a thorough evaluation before reaching the public. The depth of medical knowledge within PRIMR guarantees that the content is not only accurate but also aligned with the highest medical standards, providing an authoritative voice for the trial.

Rigorous IRB Assurance:

PRIMR's IRB assurance process is characterized by rigor. Working closely with clinical trial teams, PRIMR ensures consistency in trial information. The content undergoes a meticulous review from script to video, seeking approval from teams before submission to IRB. This comprehensive approach not only guarantees compliance with ethical standards but also streamlines the IRB approval process, contributing to the timely completion of projects.  We guarantee approval with 100% IRB approval track record.  

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Traditional clinical trial video production involves a cumbersome process of coordinating different roles, leading to challenges like delays, miscommunication, and complexity. 

PRIMR is the all in one solution for clinical trial content, offering efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness – out of the box custom content products for effective clinical trial communication. 

Work with us here. 

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FAQs:

How does PRIMR ensure that its medical copywriting remains unbiased and accurately represents trial details, especially given the complexities of clinical trials?
This is done by leveraging our team of board-certified physicians. These professionals bring years of medical training and experience in explaining complex subjects to patients and their families, ensuring that intricate medical information is translated into lay language effectively.

What are examples of how PRIMR ensures consistency in portraying medical concepts?

Akin to the beginnings of PRIMR, each project starts with a doctor's sketch. This initial step allows a clear understanding of the technical medical requirements, which are then translated into aesthetically pleasing and patient-friendly visuals. By providing detailed instructions and emphasizing doctor-led storyboarding, PRIMR minimizes the need for extensive back-and-forth communication with designers, ensuring that the final graphics align with the needs of clinical trial teams and maintain a cohesive visual narrative.

What measures does PRIMR take to address potential challenges in video collaboration?

At PRIMR, we emphasize creative insights, data-driven critiques, and open communication throughout the process. By providing direct feedback and maintaining a consistent, patient-friendly style across projects, we ensure that the final product accurately conveys trial information in an impactful and understandable manner. Drawing on data from millions of impressions and hundreds of thousands of videos viewed, we craft content that resonates with patients while meeting the needs of clinical trial teams.

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