Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41926125›Full record

ArticleJAMA network open2026

Barriers and Facilitators of Platform Trials.

Stuart McLennan, Alexandra Griessbach, Sharon Love, Christof Manuel Schönenberger, Alain Amstutz, Lucille Sebastian, Dominique Costagliola, Inge Christoffer Olsen, Corina Silvia Rueegg, Matthew R Sydes and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in JAMA network open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Stuart McLennanCLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Alexandra GriessbachCLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Sharon LoveMRC Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Christof Manuel SchönenbergerCLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Alain AmstutzCLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Lucille SebastianNHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Dominique CostagliolaSorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France.
Inge Christoffer OlsenDeptartment of Research Support for Clinical Trials, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Corina Silvia RueeggOslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Matthew R SydesMRC Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Matthias BrielCLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Benjamin SpeichCLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Importance: Platform trials have emerged as a novel approach to clinical trials and are often described as a more resource- and cost-efficient design. Despite their growing relevance, the experiences and challenges of teams conducting platform trials remain underexplored. Objectives: To examine the experiences and views of platform trial teams regarding the barriers and facilitators raised when conducting platform trials. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional survey study was carried out from June to August 2023 and was analyzed with a mixed-methods approach. The survey was sent to 127 principal investigators of platform trials and 11 other stakeholders who are experienced in the methodology and conduct of platform trials. The survey could be forwarded to other relevant team members of a platform trial. Main Outcomes and Measures: Survey data on barriers and facilitators to conducting platform trials were analyzed using descriptive statistics and standard qualitative content analysis. Results: A total of 40 completed surveys were returned. Respondents' roles in platform trials included trial management (22 respondents [55%]), principal investigator (12 respondents [30%]), statistics and trial methodology (11 respondents [28%]), and data management (11 respondents [28%]). Respondents reported efficacy gains from using a shared coordinating infrastructure for multiple intervention arms as the key advantage of platform trials, although these require more planning time and greater team expertise than traditional randomized clinical trials. There was no consensus on whether the perceived costs and resources needed for adding a comparison within a platform trial were lower or higher compared with setting up a traditional randomized clinical trial. A repeatedly raised challenge was that current regulatory and organizational processes are set up for intervention-specific clinical trials and are incompatible with adaptive and open-ended platform trials. Targeted supports such as guidelines, templates, funding mechanisms, and infrastructure setup for platform trials were identified as facilitators for their conduct. Conclusions and Relevance: In this survey study of platform trial experts, it was found that the clinical research landscape is currently not set up for adaptive platform trials, which leads to substantial challenges conducting such trials. These findings suggest that stakeholders need to take concerted action to enable the integration of platform trials.

Indexed as

Clinical Trials as TopicResearch DesignResearch PersonnelCross-Sectional StudiesHumansSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID41926125
PMCPMC13047460

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.