Understanding unmet need: Call for guest Podcast editors.

Abstract

When we launched The Lancet Rheumatology in 2019, a fundamental part of our mission was to use our pages to advocate for the improved lives of patients with rheumatic diseases around the globe. Helping to improve patients' lives requires an understanding of their needs and the ways in which science and medicine might be struggling to meet those needs. But ‘unmet need’ means different things to different people and different patient populations, driven by myriad factors including geographical location, socioeconomic factors, health literacy, and availability of and access to care (to name just a few). The reality of clinical research is that most studies and clinical trials are done in well-funded research institutes in high-income countries. Reflecting this, a majority of research Articles submitted to The Lancet Rheumatology are from authors in the UK, USA, and Europe; countries in South America and Africa are particularly underrepresented. Indeed, these trends are similar across many (if not most) research journals. A related problem is that patient populations included in clinical trials are highly selected and not always representative of all patients—issues that can adversely affect health equity. In an effort to gain insight into the many dimensions of unmet need across the globe, The Lancet Rheumatology is launching a Podcast Series featuring interviews with rheumatology specialists and clinical researchers working in a variety of settings and geographical regions worldwide, to get a first-hand view of the challenges they face and what unmet need means to them and their patients. As part of this project, we are seeking three guest editors—ideally early-career rheumatologists and researchers—to join The Lancet Rheumatology editorial team in conducting these interviews and also to lend their insights as clinicians and researchers. As with our interviewees, we are looking for guest editors working in a variety of clinical settings and from distinct geographical regions. If you are interested in collaborating with us on this exciting project and joining these illuminating conversations, please send your CV and a brief statement of interest to The Lancet Rheumatology at [email protected] The deadline for applications is July 15, 2021. We look forward to adding your voices to our own as we explore the challenges facing clinicians and patients across the globe. I declare no competing interests.