Clinical Research Professionals Make Record Donation to National Research Awareness Program

ELLICOTT CITY, Md., Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The 430 clinical research professionals who attended the 2011 Site Solutions Summit this month donated more than $7,000 for a national research awareness program. Their individual donations then were matched 100% by RxTrials Institute, co-host of the Summit, for a grand total of $14,986.

The monies raised will support the education, awareness and information campaigns conducted by the Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP). Christine Pierre, president of RxTrials Institute, spearheaded the fundraising effort. This is the third year the Summit attendees have supported CISCRP, topping their prior donations each time.

"CISCRP is so thankful for the generous donations," said Ken Getz, CISCRP founder and board chair. "It is because of the help provided by these clinical research professionals that CISCRP is able to carry out its mission. Together, we can address the long-standing need to raise public awareness and increase understanding and trust of the clinical research enterprise. We acknowledge Christine Pierre's role in bringing this fundraising initiative to fruition and are honored to receive the sites' support."

The annual Site Solutions Summit brings together leaders from the continuum of the clinical research process, including research site executives and professionals; executives from Sponsors and CROs; and other senior-level industry representatives. In a collaborative setting, these stakeholders tackle business challenges and identify best practices to meet those challenges.

"As an industry, we recognize how crucial it is for the public to have a greater understanding of the clinical research process first and then to consider participation in a fully informed manner; this is CISCRP's mission," Pierre said. "It only makes sense that we, as the leading voices of clinical research sites and others committed to clinical research, would support this effort."

A CenterWatch survey shows that 94% of people recognize the importance of participating in clinical research in order to assist in the advancement of medical science. Yet, 75% of the general public says they have little or no knowledge about the clinical research participation process. A Harris Interactive survey of cancer patients found that 85% of them were either unaware or unsure at the time of their diagnosis that participation in clinical research studies was an option. Of those, 75% said they would have been willing to enroll had they known of the opportunity.

CISCRP's mission is to promote greater awareness and understanding of clinical research participation and the role that it plays in public health.

About RxTrials Institute

RxTrials Institute is known nationwide for innovative training and education programs for the clinical research site industry and, most notably, originated the Site Solutions Summit in 2006. Another signature program, The Hidden Costs of Conducting Clinical Research, broke new ground in teaching sites to maximize profitability and negotiate fair and balanced study budgets. RxTrials Institute's experts also are widely sought for customized training and consultation on site operations and business development. RxTrials Institute is a sister company of RxTrials, Inc., a network of premier Investigative Sites based in physician practices, clinics and hospitals around the country. Learn more at www.rxti.net

About CISCRP

Founded in 2003, The Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) is a first-of-its-kind nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and informing the public, patients, medical/research communities, the media, and policy makers about clinical research participation and the role that each party plays as a participant in the process. CISCRP's staff and board of advisors have highly diverse backgrounds - from the clinical research, healthcare and advocacy communities. CISCRP's funding comes from a wide variety of sources including individual donors, government and research institutions, foundations and corporations.

SOURCE RxTrials Institute