FAQs
AdvocateLink
- How do I get started?
It’s easy—just register using via our AdvocateLink, the first online service designed to help researchers and research advocates find each other.
Research organizations that want to include research advocates in their programs can use AdvocateLink to post opportunities for advocates to get involved. Research advocates can use the resource to build their profiles and search for ways to participate.
- What qualifications do I need to serve as a research advocate?
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- I don’t know much about the research process—how can I learn more?
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- What if there are no research projects being conducted near where I live?
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- What kind of time commitment do you expect?
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- How do I get matched with a research project?
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- Can I request a specific research project?
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- Can I become a research advocate while I’m undergoing treatment?
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- What is the cost for participating in AdvocateLink?
AdvocateLink is a free service. The Research Advocacy Network covers all costs associated with matching advocates with research projects.
General
- Why should I get involved?
Because the statistics are sobering:
- Some 1.4 million new cases are diagnosed each year.
- Only 5% of adult patients participate in clinical trials.
- It takes from 5 to 8 years to develop a new drug.
- The estimated cost of a new drug exceeds $800 million.
Right now there are some 395 cancer treatments in the “pipeline,” but given the small percentage of clinical trial participants, it will take a long time to prove which ones are safe and effective. You can make a difference.
- What difference can I make as an advocate?
By infusing the patient perspective into the research process, you can help make a difference in the way patients are treated, the treatment options they’re offered and the quality of life they experience during and after treatment.
- What do research advocates do?
They can take on a wide range of roles. Research advocates may:
- Review research protocols
- Serve on study sections and committees
- Participate in or facilitate focus groups
- Serve on Institutional Review Boards that provide ethical oversight for research projects
- Review research project proposals and help determine which projects receive funding
- Educate patients and the public about clinical trials
- Conduct support groups for patients participating in clinical trials and their family members
- Raise money for cancer research and to offset costs for people participating in clinical trials.
- Why should I involve advocates in my research?
Whether or not your organization is awarded a grant could hinge on how well you integrate the patient perspective into your program. More and more grant-making organizations are looking to see whether research programs incorporate the patient point of view into their work because the decision makers recognize that doing so makes research more relevant and can help increase the rate of clinical trial participation.
- How do I get started?
It’s easy—just register using via our AdvocateLink, the first online service designed to help researchers and research advocates find each other.
Research organizations that want to include research advocates in their programs can use AdvocateLink to post opportunities for advocates to get involved. Research advocates can use the resource to build their profiles and search for ways to participate.
