The Value of Plain Language Summaries of Trial Results

To generate evidence of the value of PLSs, a cross-industry/multi-stakeholder team will be formed to:

• Develop a survey to evaluate the value of PLSs, to be placed on designated websites where PLSs are hosted
• Collect data based on the survey and review any feedback
• Report results in the form of a white paper.

The team will meet regularly to define the team objective and work on the above deliverables.

While the industry has put significant efforts into developing and disseminating plain language summaries of trial results (PLSs) to promote transparency and engagement, there remains a gap in quantitative evidence of how these documents are used and what value they bring to the trial participants and the general public. Gathering feedback from trial participants – the primary audience for PLSs – and other readers will provide meaningful insights into their value and inform improvements.

This project aims to fill the gap and generate quantitative evidence about the use and value of PLSs. This will likely help sponsors use the evidence to support the need for writing and disseminating PLSs. This project may also help uncover areas that can be further improved for a better user experience.