Clinical Trials Ontario (CTO) has been working with health charities and patient organizations like CCSN to build tools and resources about clinical trials that are informed by and meet the needs of their communities. CCSN is one of the organizations that has been engaged from the start of these efforts, and this update is intended to help you see what this collaborative work has produced. Note that these tools and resources are applicable across Canada, not just in Ontario, and CTO is currently having all these tools and resources translated into French. Read on to find out more.
Questions about clinical trials
Are you interested in clinical trials, but aren’t sure where to even start? Clinical Trials Ontario’s website for patients and the public was created to help you. You can select a topic area that you are interested in and see a list of frequently asked questions and corresponding answers:
Interested in general information about clinical trials? The “I want to learn about clinical trials” section is for you.
Interested in looking for a clinical trial? Go to “I am looking for a clinical trial.”
Already found a clinical trial that you’re interested in? See the “I’ve found a trial I’m interested in” section that also includes a list of questions for you to consider asking about that clinical trial.
Participating in or finished a clinical trial? There are webpages for you called “I am in a clinical trial” and “I am finished a clinical trial.”
These webpages about clinical trials were created because people like you told us that they didn’t know where to find credible information about clinical trials.
More about finding a clinical trial
Many people told us they don’t know how to find a clinical trial even if they are interested in one. In the “I am looking for a clinical trial” section of the website, there is a Clinical Trials Finder that you can use to search for a clinical trial in any province or territory in Canada using a few simple search terms. Information about corresponding clinical trials comes back in a logical, straightforward layout*. You can also find contact information for the trial so that you can reach out to learn more or print information about a specific clinical trial here.
The Clinical Trial Finder has been built to be simple and user-friendly, with useful search options and a simple design. Above all, we listened to and included input and feedback provided to us by patients, patient organizations and health charities.
Webinars with CCSN
CTO and CCSN have co-hosted two webinars about clinical trials, which were recorded and can be viewed online (webinar from November, 2017, and webinar from May 9, 2019 that included a clinical trials participant’s perspective).
Sharing your own experiences with clinical trials
CTO is hosting a campaign called #TalkClinicalTrials in partnership with health charities like CCSN, patient advocacy groups, research organizations and others in Ontario and Canada. The #TalkClinicalTrials series shares real stories about patient and public engagement with clinical trials and their importance for driving the future of health and healthcare. Stories are shared on CTO’s Talk Clinical Trials Campaign webpage and on social media using the hashtag #talkclinicaltrials. If you’re interested in sharing your story as part of this blog series, email info@ctontario.ca.