Journal of Clinical Trials
Open Access
ISSN: 2167-0870
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2167-0870
+44 1478 350008
Julia Walsh
Brand Medicine International, Australia
Keynote: J Clin Trials
Patients and healthcare professionals turn to search engines for advice about symptoms, diseases and treatments all the time; in fact over 1 billion health-related queries are asked of Google every single day. This information seeking behaviour also occurs by trial participants, investigators and healthcare stakeholders DURING clinical trials, when publicly available information is not yet published online. The absence of sponsor published content to answer these real-world queries creates a vacuum where misinformation can thrive. This presentation holds a mirror up to the real world digital information experience of trial stakeholders and examines what this might mean for public acceptance of an emerging therapy during trials and at launch. Julia’s thought-provoking examination of the real-world dynamics within the digital landscape illuminates what needs to be addressed as an industry moving forward to better manage the public narrative.Julia also presents the potential for Search Listening to track and recruit hard to reach patients, such as those with symptoms of a rare disease.
Julia’s career in healthcare communications was inspired by her early experience as a cell biologist seeking novel cardiovascular therapies. Her global assignments on brands at all stages of the life cycle has conferred her with a diverse skill set that includes workshop design/moderation and strategic business planning. Julia places high value on understanding the patient journey and interpreting how this, along with the interactions between multidisciplinary physicians, can impact healthcare outcomes. She is a pioneer in the development of Search Listening as a tool to improve the quality of the online information experience for both patients and healthcare professionals.