• Dawn Lobban, Jason Gardner, Robert Matheis, and ISMPP PLS Perspectives Working Group.
• Envision Pharma Group, Wilmslow, UK.
• Curr Med Res Opin. 2022 Feb 1; 38 (2): 189-200.

ObjectivesWe aimed to gather multi-stakeholder insights on key issues relating to plain language summaries (PLS) of company-sponsored medical research to inform future industry recognized guidelines.MethodsWe identified diverse stakeholders based on expertise, familiarity with PLS, and geographical location. A Working Group (n = 11) with extensive expertise in PLS developed an initial list of 14 questions relating to PLS, which were shared with stakeholders. We used a modified Delphi approach to prioritize the 10 key questions that were then used to structure stakeholder discussions to collect evidence on the key challenges and opportunities to inform best practice for PLS.ResultsOverall, 29 stakeholders took part in the study, representing different professional sectors and geographies. There was strong alignment among stakeholders on the priority questions for PLS, with high response rates for both surveys (69% and 90%). Moderated online sessions were attended by 27/29 stakeholders and opportunities to improve PLS uptake were highlighted: developing industry-wide PLS guidelines would help define and maintain quality, including having a clear directive for when publications should have a PLS; further advocacy is needed by target audiences to ensure PLS become an established part of company-sponsored research publications; a searchable repository could facilitate discoverability and broad dissemination of PLS to multiple target audiences.ConclusionsKey issues identified by stakeholders provide broad insights into the real and perceived barriers relating to PLS uptake. Each emerging theme presents a possible action that could accelerate PLS uptake and facilitate sharing of new medical research with lay audiences.

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