LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Clinical Research

Read the findings from an advisory board of LGBTQ+ patients.

Considerations for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Clinical Research

Considerations for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Clinical Research 🌈 (Report)

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Diversity, equity and inclusion in clinical research starts with awareness of the perceptions of different communities. Repairing and reducing mistrust within underrepresented communities means learning how to recognize the obstacles and increase sensitivity for inclusion. Listening to people within these communities can guide health and research inclusivity initiatives.

Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation

 (CISCRP), an independent non-profit organization, to organize and facilitate a virtual advisory meeting among LGBTQ+ patients and community members. There is no one-size-fits-all to engaging LGBTQ+ individuals in clinical research or in healthcare overall, but the first step is listening. How one identifies is an integral part of traditional inclusion or exclusion from clinical research trials and limits access for people who do not self-identify in traditional categories.

Better understand general healthcare experiences of individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, as well as relationships and interactions with healthcare providers

Assess awareness of clinical research and potential drivers for participation and retention, as well as highlights and lowlights of past clinical trial experiences

Identify ways to raise awareness among and better engage the LGBTQ+ community in clinical research

We are broadly sharing results from the four hours of discussion to help inform considerations and best practices when engaging with the LGBTQ+ community, ultimately optimizing clinical trial experiences in the future.

Download findings from an advisory board of LGBTQ+ patients and community activists, hosted by CISCRP and sponsored by Teckro.

Report: Considerations for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Clinical Research

Rare Diseases Report 2021

This special report explores improved testing, diagnosis and treatment in rare diseases.

Rare Diseases 2021: Special Report 

The Experiences, Testing, Diagnosis and Treatment of Rare Diseases 💉 (Report)

Though rare on an individual basis, rare diseases are collectively common. An estimated 300 million people worldwide will be affected by a rare disease at some point in their lives. How can better health data and advances in genomics produce improved outcomes for patients? What are the wider benefits of rare disease research and funding? How has COVID-19 affected the rare disease community?

This report considers some of the lived experiences of rare disease patients, and also explores opportunities for improved testing, diagnosis and treatment. 

Featured in the report is Dr. Brendan Buckley, Teckro's Chief Medical Officer and former Director of the European Collaborative Center for Clinical Trials in Rare Diseases at University College Cork. 

Peter Archer, bestselling author and experienced journalist

, specializing in the NHS and social care

John Illman, former national newspaper health editor and medical correspondent

This special report was originally published in 

 newspaper and iPad and Tablet editions, as well as online at 

This special 2021 report considers some of the lived experiences of rare disease patients, and explores opportunities for improved testing, diagnosis and treatment.

Report: The Treatment and Lived Experience of Rare Diseases

How Tech Impacts the Clinical Research Workforce

ACRP white paper considers the impact of tech usage on the clinical research workforce.

The Impact of Technology on the Clinical Research Workforce

The Impact of Technology on the Clinical Research Workforce 🤓 (Report)

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) convened a working group of sponsors, CROs, technology companies, and site representatives to provide recommendations regarding the roles and competencies considering increased use of technology in clinical trials. Teckro was among the technology companies to participate.

This white paper is the result of the working group recommendation as well as direct field feedback from a survey of clinical trial professionals who saw their jobs dramatically change as a result of COVID-19.

The majority of decentralized clinical trials will be hybrid, at least in the short term

Aspects of decentralization will be leveraged more often and accepted more by the industry

Increased use of technology will impact nearly every role, bringing new levels of flexibility and efficiency

Rather than threatening job roles, technology will require the need to evolve existing roles

Technology training must be standard practice and written into each site manual and delegation log

ACRP provides a wealth of resources, including certifications and training courses as well as industry news, insights and also networking opportunities with industry peers. Visit the 

ACRP white paper from an industry working group including Teckro considers the impacts of greater technology usage on the clinical research workforce.

Report: Impact of Technology on the Clinical Research Workforce

The Impact of Increased Technology on the Clinical Research Workforce

Investigative Sites and Protocol Referencing Practice

Ken Getz of Tufts CSDD introduces a study on how site staff reference trial protocols.

Tufts CSDD-Teckro: Investigative Site Protocol Perceptions

How and When Research Site Staff Reference Clinical Trial Protocols 👨‍⚕️👩‍⚕️💊🔍 (Report)

We know the protocol is the blueprint of any clinical trial. But do we know how and when it is referenced in the administration of a trial or when issues arise? To answer these questions, the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD) and Teckro collaborated on industry research on protocol perceptions from investigative research sites. 

“The study results indicate that the majority of investigative sites are using unsophisticated approaches when referring to the protocol to guide clinical trial administration. This is not surprising given the high proportion of sites that are inexperienced, with minimal infrastructure, and – in many cases – involved in clinical trials as a supplemental activity to their clinical practice,” says Ken Getz, Deputy Director of the Tufts CSDD. “As clinical trial activity becomes more virtual and remote, facilitated in part by the pandemic, we expect to see investigative sites using more mobile, flexible technology solutions offering dynamic data updated in real time."

Paper copies of the protocol are still prevalent, though they tend to be stored away from the clinic area where patients are seen

There is little uptake of online portals, either for protocol instructions or study updates

There is a reliance on direct communication with the study monitor or clinical teams, but this means it takes time to get answers

There are clear differences in which sections of the protocol are regularly referenced and some are not as helpful as others

There is an opportunity for portable formats to provide more dynamic and real-time access to the protocol for improved safety and more effective recruitment

Ken Getz of Tufts CSDD introduces a study in collaboration with Teckro on how and when research site staff reference clinical trial protocols.

Report: Investigative Sites and Clinical Protocol Referencing

Industry research in collaboration with Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development

Investigative Sites and Protocol Referencing Practices

Research Sites and Trial Protocol Analysis

Read Teckro's analysis of the Tufts report collaboration on site staff and protocol.

Digital Paradox: Research Sites and Trial Protocol

This is How Investigators and Research Staff Interact with the Study Protocol 🤦‍♂️ (Report)

Teckro teamed up with the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD) to capture feedback from research site staff on how they interact with the clinical trial protocol. 

In addition to the official report published by Tufts CSDD, we prepared a companion analysis. This analysis is broken into three observations from research:

The conduct of clinical trials is guided by “electronic paper”

There is a degree of separation between the protocol and the patient

Study design complexity presents challenges for staff to find answers in the protocol

Read analysis and conclusions from the 2020 Tufts CSDD-Teckro collaboration study capturing feedback from 228 clinical staff on how they interact with protocol.

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Industry Reports

Considerations for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Clinical Research

Rare Diseases 2021: Special Report

The Impact of Technology on the Clinical Research Workforce

Tufts CSDD-Teckro: Investigative Site Protocol Perceptions

Digital Paradox: Research Sites and Trial Protocol

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