The clinical trial process consists of several predefined phases designed to answer questions about a drug’s efficacy and safety, all while monitoring the care of participants along the route to approval.
Digital advancement made possible by technology has led to a rise in the practice of clinical trial decentralization. This means that patients may complete a portion of a trial without needing to come to a trial site, which can be supplemented by home healthcare when needed.
In this article, we’ll examine how decentralized clinical trial (DCT) technology can assist in all phases of clinical research.
Clinical research looks at how drugs impact the human body. It’s the third step in the drug development process, and it has several phases in and of itself. DCT technology can be used in various ways during each phase—offering a myriad of benefits during the trial process including increased access to potentially life-changing therapies, speed, patient-centricity, and data quality. Both the highly competitive research environment and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the need for decentralized technology across research phases, and all signs show this need will continue to grow in the future.
Each phase of clinical trial research has a unique purpose and seeks to answer certain questions based on the study group. The use of DCT technology will vary during each phase.
Solutions like eConsent forms can prove quite valuable here.
Safety is a top priority, and adverse events (AEs), or reactions that can potentially harm a patient’s safety, are observed carefully. Here, remote patient monitoring can help alleviate safety concerns by filling in to provide extra vigilance.
While DCT products are ever-expanding, here are some of the most applicable forms of DCT technology for clinical research.
Remember, DCT technology isn’t designed to be a one-size-fits-all approach. While there are a number of options to choose from, careful consideration of a trial’s goals, patient population, research activities, and treatments can drive a strategic selection of the most advantageous DCT technology.
Example 1: Vaccine trials benefit from the use of DCT methods based on their:
Example 2: The complexity of oncology trials can make them ill-suited for a fully remote trial. However, DCT tech in cancer trials can help solve for:
Tracking DCT technology and understanding when/how it can best be used during clinical research is a complex process. Offering unique solutions based on the needs of each trial, Medable’s DCT platform continues to be a choice partner for research groups. With an experienced team that understands DCT methodology inside and out, Medable knows how to strategically leverage new and emerging capabilities to achieve desired trial results.
Contact Medable today to see how DCT technology can benefit each phase of your next trial.