COVID-19 didn’t usher in the era of patient engagement in decentralized clinical trials (DCTs), but the pandemic and its associated restrictions did accelerate the adoption of home-based studies in which patients use apps, remote monitoring, telehealth, and other technology.
These tools have the dual benefit of keeping patients safe from the spread of COVID-19 and making it easier for them to continue participation in the trial, rather than dropping out due to financial stress, health reasons, or just inconvenience. However, there are important considerations for pharmaceutical and medical device companies hoping to adopt DCTs on a wider basis.
“As trials increasingly operate on a global framework and trial sites are dispersed across continents, the level of engagement requires changes,” says Meerim Almazbek, Within3 Senior Solutions Director of Community Planning and Optimization. “From sponsors and CROs to physicians and patients, all stakeholders need to be engaged equally.”
In Outsourcing Pharma, Almazbek discusses how gaps in trial communications can be improved with the intelligent use of technology, including virtual advisory boards and other tools as part of a holistic insights management strategy. By incorporating these technologies into every stage of virtual clinical trial design, clinical teams and life science organizations can reap the benefits of more successful, patient-centered studies.
