The Portrait Project gives clinical trial patients a platform to share their unique experiences and influence change

Clinical trial participants, caregivers and health professionals share unfiltered accounts of their personal health journeys and provide insights into their experience in clinical trials.

Berwyn, PA, USA, 1^st August 2023: Mural Health has launched a non-commercial initiative to share the stories of the people who make clinical research possible. The Portrait Project is a collection of stories detailing the personal experiences of trial participants, caregivers, and medical professionals. The accounts are uncensored and, often, brutally honest. Each story serves to educate by sharing our industry’s victories, what is working, where we have fallen short, and opportunities to improve. In all cases, The Portrait Project aims to amplify the voices of patients and their loved-ones.

Headlines involving clinical research often focus on scientific breakthroughs. But behind every groundbreaking innovation are thousands of people – oftentimes critically ill people who are searching for a miracle - who were required to prove the effectiveness of the therapy. Yet, so often, little is known or understood about these people, why they enrolled in the clinical study, and how the trial affected them and their loved ones. The Portrait Project serves to share these often-overlooked narratives, increase awareness, dispel misconceptions, reduce stigmas, and create a community that collectively uses its voice to influence positive change throughout the clinical research ecosystem.

Stories from the Portrait Project cover the spectrum of experiences, from cancer survivors who want to alleviate fears of the newly diagnosed, to caregivers that emotionally recount their journey that ends in the death of a loved one. Certain stories highlight how clinical research profoundly changes lives for the better. Other stories will be critical of the clinical research industry’s imperfections, recounting moments of sadness, loss, and personal devastation.  As one such contributor comments:

“If you’re fortunate enough to survive, what you say has more weight to it. I knew I wanted to use that currency for good. And if I could make the experience less scary for someone, I was willing to be the cancer girl.”

Storytellers also offer tips for caregivers, attempting to help others better navigate complex clinical environments while also managing the immense emotional toll charged to patients and their friends and families. 

The experience of each participant is unique, but all share a common thread. Each story serves to educate its reader. Ultimately, these stories are intended to have a positive impact on other participants, or help the clinical research industry serve others more effectively.

The Portrait Project is sponsored by Mural Health, a technology company that is on a mission to make it easier to be a participant (a patient or caregiver) in clinical research.

Sam Whitaker Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Mural Healthsaid: “The Portrait Project has been created because clinical trials are not well understood by the general public and the people who participate are often stereotyped unfairly. Unfortunately, I have also observed these gaps in understanding and stereotyping among my colleagues, the people who should be most in touch with the realities of clinical research. The Portrait Project shares the stories of patients and caregivers so the world, and my colleagues, can get in touch with who these people actually are, why they are involved, and the impact on their caregivers.”

You can access The Portrait Project on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or by visiting its website located at theportraitproject.io

For more information, contact:

Emily Valeo, Director and Producer of The Portrait Project, at emily@muralhealth.com.

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About the Portrait Project

The Portrait Project is an authentic open platform that highlights the lives intersecting clinical research. Patients, caregivers, and health professionals share unfiltered accounts of their personal health journeys and provide insight into the clinical trial experience.

About Mural Health

Mural Health is a next-generation participant management platform. The Company's Mural Link technology is designed to make it easier to participate in clinical trials, thereby improving clinical operations and the quality of clinical data sets. Mural Link offers next-generation participant payment technology that gives participants the power to choose how they receive payment and eliminates the predatory inactivity fees that are associated with prepaid debit card products. Mural Link also includes functionality to help patients arrive at site visits without incurring a cash expense (free rides), and empowers participant communication with two-way secure messaging and experiential feedback, which informs study personnel how to adjust operations, optimize for a positive participant experience, and proactively prevent attrition. Reach out to us to learn more about our capabilities, at www.muralhealth.com or general@muralhealth.com.