The Alliance for Aging Research offers a program called Talk NERDY (Nurturing Engagement in Research and Development with You) to train patient advocates and stakeholders. This program is designed to educate older adult patients, family caregivers, and others about patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR).
The training includes various aspects of clinical trials, such as understanding different types of research, phases of clinical trials, safety considerations, and the informed consent process. It also covers how to analyze research from a patient perspective and how to engage effectively in PCOR activities. Participants learn about the importance of integrating patient engagement within existing research programs and how to critically analyze research.
Graduates of the Talk NERDY program go on to serve in influential roles, including on clinical trial review committees, institutional review boards, FDA Advisory Committees, and other research, policy, and health education-focused opportunities. The program aims to bring together patients, caretakers, clinicians, and researchers to collaborate and ensure that research is designed to meet patient and family caregiver needs.
Training sessions have been held both virtually and in-person, covering a variety of topics tailored to the needs and interests of participants, especially those related to aging-related health conditions.
For more information on the program, including how to participate, you can visit the Alliance for Aging Research’s Talk NERDY program page.