As we wrote in an earlier blog, participants or patients are one of the many stakeholders that benefit from decentralized clinical trials. The electronic data capture platform (EDC), the workhorse of decentralized clinical trials, gives patients a frictionless experience, enabling them to provide data anytime, anywhere from their own device.
To deliver a frictionless experience, we strongly encourage clinical trials to eliminate all the seemingly little things that, collectively, could create a big barrier to obtaining participant reported data.
Hallmarks of a frictionless patient experience are:
- User Experience: Strive for an ultra-reliable user experience that does not require any training for the participant, can be done from any device. Key to patients’ ability to report medical data anytime, anywhere are the use of eCOA and, in particular, ePRO.
- Automatic Notification Rules: Create automatic notification rules that let participants know when they need to do something.
- Multimedia Content: Use images, videos, and other multimedia content to provide patients with engaging information about how to accurately perform tasks and report outcomes.
- Trial Design: Engage patients and patient advocates in trial design, which helps clinical trials understand what is important to participants and where there are barriers to participation that may be removed.
- Downloadable Apps: Avoid apps that must be downloaded and installed. These tie the participant to the device that has the app. Avoiding them eliminates the need to rely on the participant to ensure the app is installed, is running and is updated.
- EDC Platform: Ensure patient-reported data gets into the core EDC platform in real time to facilitate decision making and automated logic such as scheduling the next activity, sending reminders, etc.
- Wearables: The study platform needs the technical capabilities to support the integration of wearables and mHealth devices such as a smartwatch, FitBit, digital blood pressure monitors, and implantables.
Undoubtedly, a frictionless clinical trial experience offers convenience and less intrusion on patients’ daily lives, which in turn, improves patient retention. Equally important, sites, data managers, monitors and sponsors also benefit.
A Frictionless Experience Benefits Patients, Sites, Data Managers, Monitors and Sponsors
For sites, improving the patient experience reduces the administrative burden on site staff by removing them from the tech support business. Getting source data in real time is a distinct benefit to sites.
Other stakeholders benefit too:
- Data managers have higher confidence in data quality and timeliness.
- Monitors can shift their focus to safety risks and compliance issues as the need for source data verification is eliminated.
- Sponsors enjoy better participant compliance, higher quality data, and real time access to data – and participants who are more likely to join future studies.
To learn more, download the eBook, Your Blueprint for Decentralized Clinical Trials, now.