For the last twenty years, clinical trials have been steadily digitizing. 

As the EDC and eTMF systems of the early 2000s gave way to the eCOA and eConsent tools of the 2010s, site, and participant experiences throughout clinical research were improved. 

Since our inception in 2015, Medable has conducted over 300+ digital and decentralized trials using eCOA, eConsent, telehealth, and more. However, just as a bell curve shows, adoption rates for new technologies can wildly vary across our industry. While some organizations quickly implement new technologies, others take a more cautious approach. 

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Over the last decade the number of oncology trials has skyrocketed, almost doubling the number of all other therapeutic areas combined, according to the WIRB-Copernicus Group¹. Known for their complex design, oncology trials often present various participant, site, and sponsor hurdles.

Sponsors and CROs looking to tackle these challenges andreduce the burden on participants and sites should explore the potential of digital solutions, particularly electronic informed consent (eConsent) and electronic patient reported outcomes (ePRO). Both tools offer expanded views of the participant journey while offering feedback that enables sponsors and CROs to enhance and refine their trials for all stakeholders.

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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).

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