Healthcare communication needs to embrace real-world evidence

Traditionally, randomised clinical trials (RCTs) have been used to evaluate efficacy and safety of drugs and medical devices. But they have their limitations, and patients, healthcare professionals (HCPs) and regulators could benefit from real-world evidence (RWE) collected outside a clinical trial, to understand the clinical value of the drugs and medical devices and to observe how they fair within the complexities of the real world.

There are of course uncertainties surrounding RWE as any data collected electronically or manually can be subject to inaccuracies. However there is value in collecting all types of data, including patient-reported outcomes in a real-world setting, which can offer more insight into the impact on a patient’s life than data collected solely in the controlled setting of an RCT. The way in which data collected through real-world studies is presented is crucial for its validity and acceptance. Modern day techniques of using live dashboards, consumer reviews and ratings of products could be embraced by Pharma companies to share live data of real-world studies and communicate the benefits of drugs and medical devices to all stakeholders in modern, real-time terms, rather than solely waiting 12 months for RCT results.