Clinical trials have changed for the better, says new study

COVID-19 has changed clinical trials for the better according to a study, which suggests new study methodologies have made enrollment and recruitment more straightforward.

The study – which was published by Dassault Systèmes-owned tech firm Medidata – is based on the responses from 400 clinical trial executives across the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Switzerland.

The aim was to gain a deeper understanding of how clinical trials have changed over the past two years, including the increased adoption of new technologies.

And – according to the study – things have changed significantly since 2020 according to the authors, who wrote “Organizations had to adapt quickly to continue their operations as the pandemic spread. These changes have improved clinical trials.”

More than a third of the trial executives who took part in the survey said clinical trial outcomes had been better since the pandemic, with 36% reporting that recruitment and enrolment into trials were also better.

Respondents also expect the changes that have taken place in the trial sector to be long term. According to the authors “99.7% of respondents believe that all or some or some improvements to the clinical trial process as a result of the pandemic are here to stay.”

Decentralization

The most impactful specific change since the pandemic has been the adoption of technologies that allow people to take part in studies outside the clinical.

According to the Medidata team “the average number of studies including at least one decentralized technology before the pandemic was 43%, while the current average is 55% and the predicted average in five years is 66%.”

They added that – based on the analysis – decentralized clinical trial technologies improve compliance and adherence, aid patient recruitment and retention and facilitate better patient experience by enhancing engagement.

“From big data and growing computer power to wearable technology and artificial intelligence (AI), organizations are adopting new innovative tools and solutions – and they are here to stay,” the authors wrote.

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