Hertfordshire (UK) and Raleigh, North Carolina (US) – Innovative Trials, a leading global provider of clinical trial patient engagement, recruitment and retention solutions, has announced a new initiative to reverse what it calls a ‘disturbing’ lack of public awareness of clinical trials following new research.
Despite increased media attention on clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey commissioned by the company found that one in four (25%) Americans and almost three in 10 Britons (27%) say they have little to no understanding of clinical trials. And, of those who claim to know what clinical research involves, many still hold incorrect beliefs:
- In the US, 3 in 4 (75%) of Americans claim to have a good understanding of clinical trials, yet only half of them know that all new medicines must go through clinical trials and most (58%) do not appear to know that study participants can leave at any time.
- In the UK, 73% of adults believe they have a good understanding of clinical trials but of these, 43% think people get paid to take part in trials, only 4 in 10 (40%) know that participants can leave a trial at any time, and about 1 in 10 (9%) think clinical trials are only for those who are terminally ill.
The survey of 2,000 US adults and 2,000 UK adults aged 16 and above also discovered that two in five people in the UK (40%) worry about participating in a clinical trial because they don’t know what would happen to them. This is similar in the US where 37% of Americans share this concern.
To tackle this lack of understanding, Innovative Trials has launched the Innovative Trials Academy, a global education programme to promote greater awareness of clinical trials, challenge myths and misinformation, and promote greater confidence in the process.
Eloise Moffett, Vice President of Commercial for Innovative Trials, said: “In 2020, clinical trials were rarely out of the headlines, but what’s clear from our survey is that even now, people don’t know as much as they think they do about clinical research. For us as an industry, this is disturbing; misconceptions easily lead to mistrust, which makes it difficult to recruit people into trials and subsequently risks the validity of data for what can be life-changing new treatments. The Innovative Trials Academy aims to reverse this by taking clinical research into communities to educate the public about what trials involve and why they matter. We believe that when people understand clinical research, they’re more likely to trust it. And when they trust it, they’re more likely to take part in the future.”
The Innovative Trials Academy has three separate strands. Through its Sponsor Education Programme, Innovative Trials will work with pharmaceutical companies to sponsor public education events in local communities. As part of this service, Innovative Trials will provide trained Academy Educators to speak at these events about the clinical trial process, enabling sponsors to be recognised as public education champions for clinical research.
Meanwhile, its Public Education Programme will involve clinical research professionals volunteering their time to deliver clinical trial talks in community and educational settings, such as schools, colleges, universities, youth groups, libraries and local workplaces. This programme will give local communities – particularly children and young people – the opportunity to have real conversations with people working in clinical research who can answer their questions, tackle misinformation and tell them exactly what clinical trials are, what they involve and the value they have.
The Academy will also offer companies that participate in clinical research the opportunity to become an ITA Education Partner. These partners will invest directly in the Academy to help fund public education projects and ensure as many people can be reached as possible. The content of the programme will be kept intentionally impartial and independent to maintain credibility and trust.
Moffett added: “By partnering with sponsors and working with hugely talented and passionate professionals from across the life sciences sector globally, we can champion greater public awareness and understanding of clinical trials, help build greater trust between the clinical research industry and the public it serves, and encourage the next generation of clinical research leaders. We truly believe the Innovative Trials Academy will help change the game when it comes to opening people’s eyes to clinical research both as a potential career option and to promote greater clinical trial patient recruitment.”
Linda Shostak, MS, ACRP-CP, Adjunct Professor Clinical Research, said: “I am excited to see the launch of the Innovative Trials Academy, specifically their Public Education program. We know that many people are currently not aware of clinical trials or how they can participate in clinical research, but according to the CISCRP 2025 Perceptions and Insights study, 45% of respondents would be very interested in learning about clinical research at a community event and another 36% are somewhat interested. We clinical research professionals are great ambassadors for clinical research, but speaking within our community often means we have to create our materials. I love that ITA provides tools, presentation materials and support that will make it easy to raise awareness of clinical research at schools, health fairs and community gatherings.”
For more information about the Innovative Trials Academy, visit https://www.innovativetrials.com/innovative-trials-academy
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For UK media enquiries, please contact Laura Gibson, Marketing Consultant for Innovative Trials, at +44 7771 933609 or laura.gibson@innovativetrials.co.uk
For US media enquiries, please contact Patrick Farrell, PR Consultant, at +1 603 661 0799 or pfarrell@sniperpr.com
Notes to editors
About the Innovative Trials Academy
The Innovative Trials Academy is a global public education programme designed and facilitated by Innovative Trials. The Academy’s mission is to educate the world about clinical research by meeting people where they live, learn and gather.
The Academy has three connected programmes - the Sponsor Education Programme, the Public Education Programme and ITA Education Partners.
- The Sponsor Education Programme involves pharmaceutical companies and other trial sponsors funding public education events in places people already go, such as health fairs, shopping centres, university open days and cultural festivals. The Academy will provide trained Academy Educators around the world to deliver these sessions in those locations.
- The Public Education Programme is a community-driven initiative where anyone working in clinical research, in any role, can volunteer their time. From Clinical Research Associates (CRAs), study coordinators and Principal Investigators, to site, sponsor, CRO and vendor teams, volunteers deliver honest, accessible talks in schools, universities, scout groups and workplaces. The Innovative Trials Academy will provide the toolkits, the presentation decks and the resources, and all content will be non-promotional to ensure its credibility.
- The ITA Education Partners is an initiative where pharmaceutical companies and other organisations in the clinical research space can make a longer-term investment into the Academy, which will contribute towards the ongoing success of the Public Education Programme, and enable wider education impact initiatives. This financial commitment will help ensure we build a future pipeline of people who understand and value research before they ever enter it, either as a researcher or as a study participant.
About the survey
The research was commissioned by Innovative Trials and conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 4001 Consumers across the UK and US (nat rep 16+) (Respondents: UK-2000, US-2001). The data was collected between 10.09.2026 - 14.09.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles
Key survey results include:
- One in 4 US adults (25%) and nearly 3 in 10 UK adults (27%) have little to no understanding of clinical trials
- In the US and UK, about 3 in 4 adults (75% for the US and 73% for the UK) believe they have a good understanding of what a clinical trial is. However:
- Half of all US respondents (50%) who think they have a good understanding of clinical trials do not know that all new medicines must go through clinical trials
- More than 4 in 10 UK respondents (43%) who think they have a good understanding of clinical trials believe you get paid to take part in a clinical trial.
- More than 1 in 4 UK and US respondents (27% for each country) who believe they have a good understanding of clinical trials say only one clinical trial is necessary for each potential new treatment
- Of those who think they have a good understanding of clinical trials, only 40% of UK respondents and 42% of US respondents know that study participants can leave a trial at any time
- About 1 in 10 respondents (9% for UK, 10% for US) who think they have a good understanding of clinical trials believe clinical trials are only for people who are terminally ill
- When it comes to clinical trial participation, a major concern for 40% of people living in the UK is not knowing what will happen during the study. This figure drops very slightly in the US where 37% of Americans share the same concern
- Nearly 3 in 10 Americans (27%) worry about being treated like a ‘guinea pig’. In the UK, 1 in 4 (25%) worry about this
About Innovative Trials
Innovative Trials is an independently owned international company specialising in patient recruitment and retention for clinical trials. Boasting over 16 years of experience, Innovative Trials provides three fundamental services in this domain:
- 1:1 In-country Recruitment Coaching & Site Support, facilitated by in-country patient recruitment experts operating in more than 70 countries,
- Site & Patients Educational Materials,
- Patient Support Centre for Referral Pre-Screening and Retention.
With expertise in over 600 trials, 30+ therapeutic areas, and more than 100 conditions, Innovative Trials has established itself as a trusted and seasoned partner for pharmaceutical companies, contract research organisations (CROs) and biotechnology companies. For more information, visit www.innovativetrials.com