Clinical trial recruitment now available on MyChart

UW Health

Patients at UW Health could now receive messages directly in MyChart inviting them to participate in health research.

This year, patients who have access to their MyChart accounts might have noticed a new tab on their profile labeled “Research,” according to Dr. Mike Semanik, physician informaticist, University of Wisconsin school of Medicine and Public Health, who helps lead the MyChart research recruitment effort at UW–Madison.

This is where patients might see a message indicating they could be a good fit for a research study or clinical trial.

“This is a win-win for patients and researchers,” he said. “Researchers can access the right patient population quickly and efficiently, and patients can more easily engage with clinical trials that could make a genuine difference in their lives and the lives of future patients.”

The recruitment team works collaboratively with teams conducting clinical trials on a range of illnesses, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and diabetes. The team uses technology available in patients’ electronic health records to identify potential trial participants. The study team then confirms eligibility before sending out participation invitations. Thus, anyone receiving an invitation is likely to be a good fit for that research study. Patients can opt out of receiving clinical trial participation invitations at any time by calling the phone number listed on all invitations. Read more…