EXPANSION AND GROWTH: WHAT DID MATINEÉ MEAN FOR JLC?
July 2023 saw the recruitment of trial participants to Matineé draw to an end after 31 months of JLC’s involvement and support. This project was a pivotal point for JLC, contributing to the expansion into Italy, Spain and France and proving that we are able to perform and recruit clinical trial participants across Europe.
GSK turned to JLC to provide patient enrolment services after struggling to find participants. JLC’s support began in Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the UK in 2021, followed by France and Spain in 2022 and finally Italy in 2023.
The Matineé project was groundbreaking for JLC with it being our first major project with GSK and involving the most employees. Furthermore, it provided a catalyst for JLC’s expansion into France, Spain and Italy, where we are now experiencing growing patient communities and an increasing interest in research participation.
Embracing the Challenge
Despite the complexity and challenges of recruiting clinical trial participants for this study, thanks to the hard work of everyone at JLC, we were able to contribute to 13% of the total patients randomised, performing particularly well in Sweden, Denmark and the UK.
50% of patients recruited in Sweden came from JLC, 38% in Denmark and more than a quarter in the UK!
The success of JLC’s recruitment services was also recognised by Principal Investigators and Study Coordinators. When asked how likely it is that they would recommend JLC to a colleague on a scale from 1-10, 10 being highest, the Study Coordinators averaged at 8.5 and Principal Investigators at 8.3.
An Italian Study Coordinator also expressed their satisfaction stating:
“The referred patients were qualified in an optimal way, according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. It streamlined my work. We are very satisfied, and we hope to collaborate with JLC also for future studies.”
Continued Praise for JLC
Questionnaires answered anonymously by Study Coordinators and Principal Investigators after the completion of the project continued to praise JLC.
Different topics were evaluated on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 5 (excellent). 22 out 49 Study Coordinators across all countries responded with positive feedback, resulting in the minimum ranking being a 4.2.
The Study Coordinators’ feedback can be seen below:
4 out of 14 Principal Investigators responded and their answers can be found here:
The all-round positive feedback for the Matineé trial reflects the efforts and persistence of everyone at JLC, so thank you for your continued work!
A Personal Touch
The dedication of our Research Nurses led to a total of 8,415 patients receiving a dialogue over the phone.
The dialogues between Research Nurses and patients not only provided a better understanding of their health conditions, therefore reducing burdens on sites, but they also offered a personal touch and a contact point for patients to feel safe, guided and reassured.
“I definitely find it valuable to have the nurses as that contact point. Jane has kept in contact with me, more than my doctors or GP, so it’s been nice to have that reassurance call that things will get better,” shared Andrew who signed up for the Matineé trial through the BRP.
The relationships with patients will continue to be at the centre of our focus at JLC and the dedication of our Research Nurses contributes to supporting this core value.
A Bright Future Ahead
In what has been a challenging project to recruit for, Project Director, Karina Lippert reflects on JLC’s persistence and efforts in providing a second to none recruitment service:
“Our contribution to the recruitment on the Matineé study was a success. I remember someone said that “we were building the road while driving” which is a good description of how we have grown with this project.
Our good collaboration with the sponsor and the CRO gave us a great opportunity to extend our presence in new countries and gain some fantastic new colleagues!”
Having provided JLC with a great opportunity to expand, Matineé also brought many opportunities for learning and growth.
“Our campaigning activities and reporting have improved remarkably during the 31 months we have supported Matineé. The project has created a foundation for future recruitment, providing new opportunities for our community members.
We have provided evidence of what we are capable of which is vital when working with the Pharmaceutical Industry. I see a bright and successful future for James Lind Care.” concluded Karina.
We are proud of the feedback we have received from this project, and it would not be possible without the hard work of everyone at JLC!
As we look forward to what is next, we will continue to strive for improving our services and placing the patients at the centre of our focus.
Written by
Eloise Healey