MA, Research Methods (Anthropology)
BA, Anthropology/Archaeology
Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
Rebecca Crawford is a Director of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Assessment group. Ms. Crawford has over 13 years of experience providing consultative support to pharmaceutical companies with a focus on the development of patient-reported outcome (PRO) measurement strategies to best meet the needs of their clinical trial programs. Her experience includes conducting literature reviews to evaluate the quality of PRO scales and their suitability for inclusion in clinical trials, and conducting qualitative research to assess the content validity of scales for specific patient groups. She has also collaborated on the development of new PRO measures and assessed the impact of medical conditions and treatments by conducting patient interviews and focus groups, applying qualitative analysis techniques, and developing associated documentation. In addition, Ms. Crawford has significant experience in conducting social media reviews to gain insights into patient disease experiences in a range of therapeutic areas including chronic hand eczema, Alzheimer’s disease, non‒muscle invasive bladder cancer, multiple myeloma, acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, obesity, and cCMV.
Ms. Crawford is also highly experienced in quantitative techniques pertinent to PRO research, including classical techniques and the application of item response theory (Rasch analysis) to investigate the psychometric properties of PRO measures. Specifically, she has been involved in the development and evaluation of PRO measures for Dupuytren's contracture, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn’s disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and atopic dermatitis. She has also designed and led the development of a new PRO measure for hypoparathyroidism.
Ms. Crawford has a firm understanding of the challenges involved in selecting PRO measures for use in international studies and specifically, of the challenges involved in ensuring the cultural acceptability of PRO scales. She has managed the adaptation and validation of multiple new language versions of existing PRO measures for use in Europe, South and Central America, and East Asia. Many of these have been large-scale parallel adaptation studies, with Ms. Crawford acting as both as a project manager and as a scientific researcher conducting translation panels and ensuring cross-cultural comparability of new language versions. As a project manager, Ms. Crawford has been responsible for identifying, and establishing contracts with international investigators and ensuring that all activities are kept on track in terms of both budget and timelines.
Ms. Crawford's work has led to articles in publications such as Journal of Medical Economics, Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, and Value in Health. She has also presented at conferences such as the International Society for Quality of Life Research.