Mike Novotny for EPM Magazine writes (excerpt)

“Among the greatest factors behind the recruitment and retention struggles the industry faces are a wariness of unproven treatments (often referred to as the ‘guinea pig fear’) and the fact that, for many potential clinical trial subjects, committing to regular site visits over a period of months or years is inconvenient or simply unfeasible. In this light, it will be interesting to see to what extent organisations utilize advancing technology to mitigate these challenges.

As patient reported outcomes, for example, go electronic, researchers are empowered to better demonstrate an investment in the patient experience and ensure patient safety and comfort. And as conversation continues to swirl around mHealth and wearables in clinical trials, one can’t help but wonder about the patient-centricity value of these methods of remote data collection: The ability to collect data remotely, without a site visit, could significantly reduce the burden of clinical trial participation.

It’s necessary, however, to keep any optimism cautious. For the use of next-generation technology to truly be feasible, there are some important considerations. For one, any technological platform in use for remote data collection will need to be able to transmit that data to the central EDC or other eClinical system in use in the study; APIs will need to be in place to streamline integration, so that manual data transfer doesn’t slow down study timelines. It’s not enough for a wealth of technological solutions simply to exist; they need to be able to work with one another, as well — and until they do, it won’t be feasible to harness them for patient centricity or any other purpose.”

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