Patient Experience

An often quoted analogy for recruitment into clinical trials is that of the ‘leaky pipe’. In this analogy  potential participants drop out of the recruitment funnel at every stage in the process from identification, pre-screening, consenting, screening, randomisation and trial completion. 

Research in 2020 ^[1]  showed that of 100 participants identified for pre-screening, only 8 will be randomized, and only 7 will complete the trial. Given that  a recent review with the Medable Patient Champion Network (PCN) highlighted that the paper consent process was often considered as ‘intimidating’, the fact that up to 80% [2] of potential participants are lost during the consent process is not surprising. Metrics such as these highlight the importance of being able to provide a potential participant with the details of a clinical trial in a manner that both engages and educates them. This helps ensure that their very first experience with the trial, and at times the research facility, sets the tone for a positive trial experience. 

Once enrolled into a clinical trial, the process of educating a participant and ensuring the consent form is understood, has a direct impact on their retention. Research from CISCRP [3] showed that 35% of participants that dropped out early from a clinical trial found the consent form difficult to understand, compared to only 16% of participants that completed their clinical trial.

‍

This summary looks at DCT patient and caregiver preferences regarding eConsent, telehealth, wearables, and other digital technologies in the area of oncology. There are differences noted between age, gender, and specific types of cancers.

During the pandemic, there was a surge in telehealth visits in medical oncology. Some of the telehealth benefits include convenience, the immediacy of results, news processing, family comfort, and privacy during the receipt of bad news. Although patient preference is individual in nature, there are some common themes. Telehealth has also increased access to medical care and clinical trials (Granberg, et al 2021).

A randomized study for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy showed that those who do accept telehealth visits report a positive view of telehealth. Another study shows that 92% of patients who had telehealth visits were satisfied with the visit. A survey reported that 32% of thyroid cancer patients reported video-based healthcare. Another advantage of telehealth noted by patients is the convenience, especially for short visits with a long commute. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a large positive influence on video visits. These studies noted that only included patients who spoke English and accepted video visits (Granberg, et al 2021).

‍

‍

Medable worked with a top 5 pharma company to increase the safety of patients as anti-cancer treatments may cause pulmonary toxicity, ranging from asymptomatic radiological changes to respiratory failure, and is considered a common side effect.

‍

Use a consent experience that’s designed to meet the needs of patients, while educating and engaging them each step of the way. Read our free white paper to learn eConsent tips from patients themselves, and improve your patient retention.

‍

Combining multiple market solutions at the site level can result in a negative experience due to different processes, login credentials, and redundant training. A unified DCT platform that works seamlessly with other core clinical systems to streamline workflows and simplify key trial processes.

‍