Social media has emerged as a widely used and powerful communication tool. It is therefore no surprise that it has become a major platform for advertising to the public. Given its widespread usage and reach, it is increasingly being applied to reach potential participants to inform them about clinical research and to encourage participation.
This is a new resource. We'd love to hear how you're finding it:
To assist researchers and highlighting the specific compliance requirements, the VCCC Alliance, with input from The Royal Children’s Hospital, Murdoch Childrens' Research Institute, and Austin Health have collaborated on a quick-reference page, resources, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below.
In this section you'll find:
For a procedural overview, please download the below Guidance Document.
Anything that promotes a trial is considered advertising. Social media advertisements may include videos or the paid advert for a specific study on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Ads or Instagram, or a post on the institution’s social media web page.
Social media and traditional advertising are actually very similar. However, because social media has a wider reach and people may be able to publicly comment on the advertisement/post, there are additional privacy concerns to consider - when adverts are posted on social media, people can leave comments and are identifiable. There need to be safeguards to ensure that these people are aware of the implication of leaving comments or ‘liking’ the post. Additionally, it is important to make sure that the social media companies do not collect personal, private, or sensitive information on behalf of the Sponsor and/or Principal Investigator.
HREC/Governance approval remains a requirement for all advertising materials. The advertisements should be clear about the purpose of the study. ICH GCP requires that advertising materials are appropriate and not coercive, and The National Statement states that ‘recruitment materials’, including social media posts, should follow the ethics principles of justice and respect.
HREC need to know:
Which social media sites will be used
Who the audience is and how you will reach them
Duration of the advertising campaign
The URL link
The key message
Headline
Description
Who is paying for the advertisement?
What measures are in place to protect the privacy of those that respond to the post
Use this link to download an editable word version to begin brainstorming your social media advertisement, and ensure you are considering all the above.
If the institution allows you to use their account, then you can. You should let the HREC know this. Be aware that the advert will also need to comply with the institution’s own guidelines.
Someone needs to act as the Administrator and review/moderate the comments generated from the social media post. This person should be from the study team, but not a student, as students need to be supervised. It is often beneficial to turn off the option of commenting on this post.
If you receive negative comments, or need a second opinion before responding, please contact your Research Integrity office (or complaints person) to discuss best ways to respond.
It is important to ensure the social media companies do not collect personal, private, or sensitive information on behalf of the Sponsor and/or Principal Investigator. It is also preferable if comments are turned off as part of advertising campaign.