Besides testing and developing new drugs and devices, a clinical research organization like Veristat provides a scientific basis for understanding how illnesses work. This help in providing patients with better care and advice. However, some clinical trials fail before they can make significant findings. This is primarily because of funding, safety, and lack of efficacy issues. Luckily, some tools can help research trials run successfully and overcome common problems.
These tools include:
Modern technology platforms
Modern engagement platforms, also known as unified clinical operations suites or clinical trial optimization systems, aid CROs in enhancing clinical product quality, speeding up the time it takes to bring a product to market, and ensuring regulatory and industry compliance. They are used to organize, monitor, and assess clinical trials. They also function as document exchange repositories, site payment platforms, learning management systems, trial site activation systems, eConsent solutions, and more, in addition to site engagement. In addition, they serve as a consolidated one-stop shop where sites can get everything they require to conduct the trial in a single, practical location successfully.
These platforms can offer site assistance features like scheduling, FAQs, and visit guides that make it simple for clinicians to conduct the trial. Site collaboration can be enhanced through tools like dynamic eTrackers that track and analyze data coming in from other systems (CTMS, EDC, labs) to proactively address issues like enrolment diversity, patient retention, and scheduling closeout visits. These platforms are converted from conventional portals into comprehensive clinical trial solutions sites by boosting their value with additional features that simplify trial processes.
Virtual site monitoring
Due to technology breakthroughs and process optimization, the conduct of clinical trials has been expedited. A single point of contact and a comprehensive retention plan allows monitoring teams to ensure that trials are conducted with complete regulatory and procedure compliance from beginning to end. Risk-based monitoring can promote a culture of continuous improvement by concentrating the majority of monitoring efforts on the areas with the highest unmet needs, which have the most potential to affect subject safety and data quality. It also has enhanced processes that demand a flexible, agile approach that takes advantage of advancements in digital systems, records, and the statistical analysis of data.
Electronic Data Capture (EDC)
EDC is a tool used to gather and store patient data. It makes the entire data collection process easier, unlike traditional methods, which require the data to be written down on paper and entered into an electronic case report form (eCRF). There’s a high likelihood that home health visits will play a more significant role in technologically enabled clinical studies. As such, there’s a need for data collected and recorded during those visits to be more efficient, sustainable, and secure, which can be achieved with EDC. In addition, access to real-time data and reporting lessens the requirement for a data monitor to be on-site because data can be virtually collected, processed, cleaned, and organized without losing accuracy through Electronic Data Capture ((EDC). As a result, the cost of running clinical trials is reduced.
Modern platforms and electronic data capture make clinical trials more efficient and credible. Capturing data in no time gives teams more time to focus on other significant tasks. This is without forgetting that virtual site monitoring reduces the cost of running clinical trials.
