Clarigent Health is fortunate to work with practitioners and researchers on our ongoing clinical research projects. While some practitioners have always had an interest in research, some are participating for the first time. Here are some of the benefits they have said attracted them:
1. Trying something new! I learned the ins and outs of clinical research
As a private practitioner or agency provider “breaking” into clinical trials can be challenging. Often your traditional pharma type trials may not be appropriate for their client population. On top of running a trial has a lot of moving parts and can be time consuming and require a whole team that an individual practitioner may not have access too. The advantage of working with Clarigent on a trial is we understand that the private practitioners or the typical mental health clinic does not have a robust research program or exposure. We offer the opportunity to these types of providers to learn how to do clinical trials. We work hand in hand training and supporting the provider. Our approach to the clinical trial partnership is focused on supporting and teaching new researchers the fundamentals within their workflow. Often the experience and training we offer is gained only through participating in a training course or attending an academic institution.
2. My input comes to life in a cutting-edge product
The providers we work with get the hands-on experience of giving input into the development of our products. We are looking for “feasibility” feedback even in our clinical trials! Does the user experience make sense? What would you like to see changed? What would make the use easier? These providers are at the ground level developing the technology right along with us. Being a part of a clinical trial, we are depending on them to give us real feedback to make this technology work!
3. Joining a network of innovative scientists
At Clarigent we have a terrific Scientific Advisory board as well as other amazing collaborators. I think when people find out what we are working on they get excited and want to work with us any way they can. This has offered us a brilliant network. Practitioners get the benefit of that network through direct exposure on projects offering them the opportunity to expand their network.
4. Getting early access to cutting edge tools to help my clients
The products and tools we are developing are cutting edge. The ability to be a 1st adopter and offer better service to clients is highly motivating. The benefit of participating in the clinical trial is the providers get to see new tools before they are available commercially to anyone else.
For example, early in the clinical trial development I had a conversation with a provider about implementing the tool into her clinical workflow. She stopped me and said “This could help me so much. Like right now, I have insights into a client’s mental health that the caregivers either do not agree with or just do not want to admit. This tool will offer the objectivity I need to provide validation and help everyone accept what is going on.”
5. Helping bring more tech solutions to mental health
Technology has permeated almost every aspect of our lives. However, outside of the recent surge in teletherapy appointments, there have not been many major advances in technology solutions for mental health treatment. Instead, most of the “new” interventions are behavioral based and require the provider to become trained in a certain methodology. These are great from an education and training perspective. However, they can be burdensome to implement.
What Clarigent Health research offers mental health practitioners is the opportunity to break into the “tech” world and bring innovation into mental health practice. It is really revolutionary to the field!