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ICON and Carnegie Mellon Collaborating on Informed Consent

  • Dublin, Ireland

Series of research projects to evaluate approaches for improving patient understanding of clinical trials

ICON plc, (NASDAQ: ICLR) a global provider of drug development solutions and services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, today announced that it is sponsoring a series of research projects, led by Professor Baruch Fischhoff, Ph.D., at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), to find new ways to improve information comprehension and retention by clinical trial participants. The research tools will include multimedia solutions from ICON’s Firecrest suite of products. 

A leading authority on behavioural sciences in healthcare, Professor Baruch Fischhoff, Ph.D., is the Howard Heinz University Professor in the departments of Social and Decision Sciences and of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. A cognitive psychologist by training, Professor Fischhoff’s research focuses on risk communication, analysis and management, informed consent, security and environmental protection.

“We are looking into ways to help patients make well-informed decisions about whether to participate in clinical trials,” said Professor Fischhoff. “Our research will take advantage of advances in behavioural decision research and information technology to design and evaluate approaches for ensuring that patients understand the potential risks and benefits of joining trials.”

“Successful patient enrolment in clinical trials is dependent on an informed consent process that thoroughly and consistently explains the trial and instils trust in the patient,” commented Frances Abeton, VP Firecrest, at ICON plc. “The CMU research projects are designed to scientifically test, measure and validate what patients need in order to ensure truly informed consent. We also want to know how the presentation of clinical trial information affects patient understanding, confidence and trust.”

Following scientific peer review, the results of these studies will be accessible to the public and will influence the development of new ICON innovations, including a range of study management tools from Firecrest. Firecrest tools include investigator training, patient recruitment and retention services, eConsent, mobile data capture and an integrated patient and investigator portal, which greatly improve the compliance, consistency and quality of study-related activities by study personnel.

About ICON plc 

ICON plc is a global provider of drug development solutions and services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. The company specialises in the strategic development, management and analysis of programs that support clinical development - from compound selection to Phase I-IV clinical studies. With headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, ICON currently, operates from 83 locations in 38 countries and has approximately 10,600 employees.

More information about ICON’s Firecrest solutions is available at: www.iconplc.com/technology/firecrest/

ICON Media Contact

Rebecca Power
Weber Shandwick
Tel: +44 (0) 207 067 0866 
Email: RPower@webershandwick.com


This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and information currently available, including current economic and industry conditions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or actual results, and actual results, developments and business decisions may differ from those stated in this press release. The forward-looking statements are subject to future events, risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the statements, including, but not limited to, the ability to enter into new contracts, maintain client relationships, manage the opening of new offices and offering of new services, the integration of new business mergers and acquisitions, as well as economic and global market conditions and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in SEC reports filed by ICON, all of which are difficult to predict and some of which are beyond our control. For these reasons, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements when making investment decisions. The word "expected" and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are only as of the date they are made and we do not undertake any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More information about the risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements may be found in SEC reports filed by ICON, including its Form 20-F, F-1, S-8 and F-3, which are available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.