When planning a clinical trial, selecting the right location is just as crucial as timing your drug’s release. We’ve observed over the years that more than traditional feasibility alone is needed to secure a successful trial. So, what’s the essential component we’re overlooking?
Tick-Tock, Watch the Clock:
Time is of the essence, not just for the patients but for the experts planning the trials. Deadlines and budgets of clinical trial planning create limitations, often hard to overcome without the right resources. A time-consuming site selection can delay pivotal trial studies, affecting timely medical advancements and spiraling costs. Site visits and protocol amendments significantly add to the overall trial budget. Finding a piece of information that could make or break your trial can take weeks.
The Human Element:
Clinical trials are scientific, but the process of selecting a site can sometimes be anything but. Decisions swayed by non-scientific factors introduce subjectivity. Qualitative data is often overlooked in favor of quantitative data – which is what most trial strategists are stuck with, using legacy providers. For instance, if a site selection is primarily driven by a site’s capacity rather than its eagerness, we risk compromising the integrity of the study. This is where having a trusted network of medical professionals can help derive insights that a data platform can not give.
Patients – the overlooked component:
Understanding the patients at the heart of these trials could be the game-changer we need. You may want to know the patient pathway as best as possible, but the traditional methods you use are limiting you.
Having access to comprehensive patient information not only streamlines the research process but also guarantees that every patient’s experience and needs are genuinely understood and addressed. Which increases the recruitment rate and ensures successful retention and trial completion. Can this be achieved solely through site and country feasibility? No. A centralized hub containing insights from patients – gathered from interviews, focus groups, and surveys, as well as medical guidelines & scientific publications – can be invaluable for strategists. Not only for successful recruitment but for trial completions as well. Often, patients end their participation in a trial because it did not meet their needs. Platforms that have been pioneering the adoption of groundbreaking technologies, like TrialHub provide clinical trial strategists with a holistic view of the patient’s journey. A reimagined, more efficient approach, focused on quality and backed by valid and rich data, could pave the way.
In conclusion, while traditional methods such as site feasibility remain a comfort zone in clinical trial planning, innovation achieves improvement. If clinical trials are planned for the patients, then they should be at the core of it.
