Making Trial Data Count Twitter Q&A

06 Jun 2017

Clinical trials collect huge amounts of data from the people who take part. This data has the potential to answer more than just the main trial question. In this Twitter Q&A we will explore how we can make the most of that data, while protecting patient confidentiality. Our panel includes experts with experience of data sharing, meta-analysis and secondary analyses of trial data, as well as a trial participant who will share his experience.

Our panel

• Nigel Klein is Professor and Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases & Immunology at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, London, and the Institute of Child Health, UCL. He is a long-term collaborator with the MRC CTU at UCL, on trials including ARROW and REALITY, using data and samples from these trials to answer questions that emerge from the main results. 
• Claire Vale is a senior scientist in the Meta-Analysis Group at the MRC CTU at UCL. She carries out individual participant data meta-analyses, using data from many trials. This helps us put the results of individual trials in context, and can allow us to look at sub-groups that a single trial is not big enough to draw conclusions about.
• Barrie Leyshon is part of the “Use My Data” movement for cancer patients, which is harnessing the patient voice to build confidence in the use of patient data for research and analysis.  He is actively involved in patient education, and part of the ‘Guise and Dolls’ support group for people with head and neck cancer. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 Throat Cancer in 2006, and Stage 1 Colon Cancer in 2014. He is currently taking part in a clinical trial.

How to take part

Our panellists will be sat by a computer and ready to answer questions from 12:30 to 1.15pm on Tuesday 20 June (BST). 

You can tweet within this 45 minute slot, or tweet your question before the session begins if you prefer. If you would like to participate but are not on Twitter, you can also email us your questions in advance to: mrcctu.twitter@ucl.ac.uk

To ask a question via Twitter, simply tweet using the hashtag #trialdatacounts.  Our panel will then reply to you from the @MRCCTU account. 

To follow the Q&A, search Twitter for #trialdatacounts when it's taking place, or follow @MRCCTU

As we have more than one panel member for our Q&A, the person who is answering your question will put their initials at the start of their tweet, so you know who is talking.

As well as answering your questions, we're also very interested to hear what you think on the topic. Be sure to include the hashtag #trialdatacounts so we can see your tweets.