Langland, a healthcare advertising agency, has launched "Speak Out, But Speak Smart," an online communication guide for clinical trial participants. Developed in collaboration with CISCRP, the web site encourages discussions while showing how sharing certain information can have unforeseen consequences: for example, psychosomatic side effects resulting from the knowledge of another participant's adverse event.

With the rise of the ePatient, digital-savy patients routinely use the internet not only to gather information about their conditions, but also to disseminate their own experiences via blogs, forums and social media. Sharing study-related clinic visit experiences can dispel misconceptions surrounding clinical research, but relaying any apparent health benefits to a fellow participant could spark a “placebo effect” in that person.

Hosted on the CISCRP web site, "Speak Out, But Speak Smart" brings to life the implications of such conversations through choose-your-own-ending animations. These allow the viewer to select how much information to divulge in different situations and explore the consequences of their choice.

"We are always looking for new and creative ways to educate patients and to encourage them to be informed partners in the research process," said Ken Getz, CISCRP founder. “‘Speak Out, But Speak Smart’ is an entertaining and unique approach conveying how each individual's actions impact a research study."

"Patient communications via social media presents challenges for the healthcare industry," said Emma-Kate Yates, Langland's group account director. "We're delighted to be part of an initiative that tackles issues head on with an aim to further empower patients via an interactive experience complementing the environment they already occupy online."