Most Americans willing to share health data with researchers, finds PA report
Most Americans (64%) are comfortable sharing their health data with researchers, according to PA Consulting’s latest “Taking the Pulse” survey. The report polled 2,000 Americans in January 2024.
The survey also found that 65% of respondents are willing to share their data across multiple studies if it could help accelerate development of new treatments.
This willingness, if capitalized upon, could help biopharma organizations significantly increase the pace of research and development.
Additionally, half of respondents (51%) said the pace of medical advancements in the US is too slow and 47% said the US should invest more in technologies like AI for medical diagnosis and treatment.
Over a quarter (77%) said clinical trials are essential to bring lifesaving medicines to market and 65% said the US should adopt a more streamlined system for organizing and monitoring trials. However, only 28% of respondents think the high cost of medical R&D justifies the high prices of new drugs.
Consumers still have trust issues, with trust in biopharma brands being consistently lower among people who voted for Donald Trump in 2020 and those with lower incomes. Consumers aged 55+ tend to have lower trust in all organizations, but particularly pharmaceutical firms (19%).
“We are seeing a great appetite from the public to participate in clinical research, and to amplify the impact of their participation by their willingness to share data across studies,” said Charlie Paterson, clinical development expert at PA Consulting. “However leading life sciences companies must ensure that the technologies they deploy are supporting their ability to safely manage the data they are being trusted to use.”
Paterson adds that life sciences firms should consider outsourcing trials to contract research organizations to reach more potential trial participants, since such organizations have invested in data, design, and technology to improve recruitment, participation, and adherence.
