Implementing Patient-Centric Principles in Asthma Research

By Shann Williams, Associate Vice President, Federal Operations, Rho

The term ‘patient-centric’ is the source of much debate in today’s healthcare climate. Fraught with uncertainty for many, this term carries with it the nuances of widely differing practical application methods as well as theoretical disagreements from industry stakeholders. For example, an article in Applied Clinical Trials entitled, The Evolution of Patient Centricity, juxtaposes the FDA and Sponsor expectations of patient centricity – highlighting the differences in key patient centricity factors and forecasting the future of its role in drug development.

While it is understandable that we would be intimidated by the lack of regulatory guidance and the uncertainties of taking on risks in any relatively new area, I would argue that this isn’t exactly rocket science. Many of the same practices that have led to successful studies for years can be implemented in order to provide a starting place on our way to the demystification of patient centricity.

In this article, I’ll share a few simple, actionable, bite-sized strategies we have employed on asthma studies to provide a more patient-centric approach.