In 2003 the World Health Organization (WHO) began a series of conferences to address the issue of establishing a mechanism for conducting and reporting on clinical trials in a consistent, universally-accessible manner. Based upon internationally recognized scientific and ethical principles, the resulting program - the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform - seeks to achieve the following:
- ensure that all clinical trials are registered and thus publicly declared and identifiable
- ensure that for all trials, a minimum set of results will be reported and made publicly available
establish a complete and readily searchable register of clinical trials – overseen by an objective international body with the input of stakeholders
- assist in making treatment decisions
- help increase public trust in clinical research
These lofty goals - among others - will be achieved through a public Web portal intended to serve as a “one-stop-shop“ for clinical trial information from all over Earth! How cool is that?
For an overview of this incredibly exciting and worthwhile effort, check out the Webinar series being conducted by BetterManagement.com.