The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the whole world and the public has had to struggle with understanding scientific data on a daily basis. The impact of scientific misunderstanding became painfully apparent with the decline in vaccine uptake and so the need for clear, understandable scientific information has never been more vital. Plain Language Summaries of Publications (PLSPs) could be an elegant and much-needed solution to this problem. This article will explore what these documents are, the approaches taken to date, and the challenges that still remain. Lisa Chamberlain James and Rachel Beeby at Trilogy Writing and Consulting Ltd will aim to answer the question – what has COVID-19 taught us?
Extract:
‘Plain Language Summaries of Publications – What Has COVID-19 Taught Us?’
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the whole world and the public has had to struggle with understanding scientific data on a daily basis. The impact of scientific misunderstanding became painfully apparent with the decline in vaccine uptake and so the need for clear, understandable scientific information has never been more vital. Plain Language Summaries of Publications (PLSPs) could be an elegant and much needed solution to this problem. This article will explore what these documents are, the approaches taken to date, and the challenges that still remain. The authors will aim to answer the question – what has COVID-19 taught us?
The development, approval, and dissemination of COVID-19 vaccines has been in the forefront of our lives for a long time now. The discussions around potential side effects and efficacy of the vaccines have been many and varied, and have sometimes been delivered with a startling lack of scientific evidence or even basic understanding. The resulting public mistrust and ensuing reluctance to have one or any of the vaccines was swift and devastating, and will undoubtedly have cost lives. This has highlighted the need and demand for scientific research to be delivered accurately and plainly.
The public’s demand for more and better scientific information is not new, and the Regulatory Agencies have already responded with an increase in transparency and patient engagement. The most recent and largest changes from a documentary point of view have been the inclusion of a new patient-friendly part of the Risk Management Plan (mandated by the EMA in 2013), which was closely followed by the introduction of Regulation (EU) 536/2014, which mandates the production of a Lay Summary of Clinical Trial Results. This is not currently mandated by the FDA, but patient friendly summaries of clinical trial results are recommended. With this in mind, it is unsurprising that there is a growing demand for Plain Language Summaries of Publications (PLSPs).
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