An exciting national effort is making it easier for patients and caregivers to participate in clinical research. The Champions for Change – Paid Time Off (PTO) Initiative, launched by the Coalition to Transform Clinical Trial Engagement (CTCTE) and led by the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, worked to reduce job-related barriers by encouraging employers to offer paid time off for clinical trial participation.
Thanks to advocacy efforts by CTCTE, the Department of Labor has clarified that employees participating in clinical trials and the family caregivers supporting them are protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This is a major win for the Alpha-1 and rare disease communities, where participation in clinical trials is often essential to accessing emerging therapies.
This change to the FMLA encourages companies to formally offer at least one paid day off for clinical trial participation, removing a barrier faced by patients and their families. As Alpha-1 patients know well, access to clinical trials can offer hope and critical access to potentially life-changing treatments.
Read article here: https://www.stopsarcoidosis.org/coalition-to-transform-clinical-trial-engagement-launches-champions-for-change-pto-initiative/
