A brief history of clinicaltrials.gov
ClinicalTrials.gov is no stranger to any of us.
It was first launched in 2000 and is managed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Since then, it’s expanded to become a registry of active clinical research worldwide. In 2007, the FDA Amendments Act effectively required trials to be listed and results to be reported.
Today, it’s the most comprehensive public resource for trial info. Regulatory capture of data will do that.
It’s also become the most commonly referred-to destination for anyone trying to learn about clinical trials.
But does anyone think that’s a good idea?
Patients vs clinicaltrials.gov
While patient traffic to clinicaltrials.gov has grown, the experience has stagnated.
Patients regularly report it as user-hostile. Even clinical research pros have a hard time using it.
And it’s no wonder.
While clinicaltrials.gov has an advantage in capturing trial registrations, it doesn’t capture that information in a way that’s useful for patients.
Garbage in, garbage out, as they say.
Will things change?
I’m not sure I’m qualified to comment.
One way to look at this is through the lens of tradeoffs. The more patient-friendly the data, the less specific it can be.
And that’s a tough balance to strike.
PS: ClinOops will always be free. Ignore this self-promotional footer 👇