Trial sites are still not confident with decentralized clinical trials according to a survey by Florence Health.
The survey looked at trends in the research sector and found that, despite 89% of sponsors using decentralized elements in their clinical trials, on a scale of 10 trial sites are at a level five confidence when it comes to managing such studies.
For both sponsors and sites, the technology used to run decentralized clinical trials was identified as an area of uncertainty.
And this is a potential problem according to the authors, who write “A rapid disruption in any industry can cause confusion. But in clinical research, where patient safety and the advancement of life-changing therapies are at stake, it’s imperative that disruptions in technology don’t lead to disruptions in outcomes.”
Tech training
To address these technology concerns sponsors trial sites and CROs need to be prepared to use multiple systems according to the authors.
“Forty two percent of sites use more than five platforms for each study they participate in. It is expected that the number of software platforms used in clinical trial operations will increase as the march toward digitization continues.”
And being flexible enough to use multiple technologies is key to winning business. According to the Florence Health team “42% of sponsors indicate that technology acceptance is important or extremely important to them when choosing a site.”
Integration
Firms involved in decentralized trials will need to understand how to integrate technologies more effectively.
According to the survey, 40% of respondents said integrating technology into the trial management process is the biggest barrier they face.
In addition, 72% of sites said they make technology decisions based on how much repetitive work a new technology eliminates.
But not considering how the technology will work with existing systems is counterproductive according to the authors, who wrote that “Using technology without integration can result in increased repetitive work by requiring data to be entered more than once.
“By choosing platforms that are easy to work with and integrate with one another, sponsors can lessen the burden of technology on their sites. For sites with limited budgets and human resources to focus on technology, new software must easily integrate with existing workflows and be easy to use.”
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