The swift progression of technology has undeniably transformed the clinical trial landscape, providing numerous benefits such as remote monitoring, improved patient recruitment methods, and decentralization of trials. However, the proliferation of diverse solutions and systems in the clinical trial workflow has presented a significant challenge for researchers – technology overload.
A recent survey has revealed that up to 60% of clinical research sites are utilizing over 20 different systems on a daily basis, leading to a surge in complexity, resulting in staff burnout, reduced site capacity, prolonged research timelines, and ultimately, a decrease in the availability of treatments for patients in need.
The plethora of technology and vendors in the clinical research domain has created a complex environment, making it increasingly difficult for researchers to access and manage multiple sponsor systems – a top challenge cited by many. Despite a nearly doubled investment in clinical services and technology, research operations continue to struggle with longer study timelines and limited improvement in outcomes, largely attributed to the added complexity caused by the multitude of solutions.
This inundation of vendors and systems, compounded by varying sponsor preferences, has resulted in a severe bandwidth issue in clinical trial research, impacting the amount of new treatments that can be studied. Furthermore, this complexity has contributed to a surge in clinical staff burnout, subsequently leading to higher turnover rates. Research indicates that a high workload triples the risk of burnout in the healthcare setting.
The consequences of this complexity are further compounded by delays in trial timelines, escalating costs, and an overwhelming backlog of trials. Reports indicate that 1 in 5 trials are delayed by more than 40% of their original timelines, highlighting the pressing need for a remedy to the technology overload conundrum.
Despite the industry’s investment in clinical services and technology, it is clear that the capacity to conduct clinical trials has reached its limit, with an expanding backlog of new trials awaiting activation across sites. The added pressure this places on sites is overwhelming, signalling the urgent need to address this issue.
In order to tackle this challenge, a collaborative approach among pharmaceutical sponsors, contract research organizations, and technology vendors is essential. Rather than working in silos, these stakeholders must come together to create solutions that alleviate the complexity of site operations, thereby restoring the capacity to run clinical trials.
One such solution is the implementation of a single sign-on solution that spans across all studies and products, effectively reducing the burden on sites. This, coupled with a personalized dashboard that offers a comprehensive overview of studies, sponsors, and systems, enables seamless navigation across the technology ecosystem and alleviates the burden on sites.
By easing the burden on sites, stakeholders can expect to witness an increase in clinical trial capacity, accelerated research timelines, and improved patient outcomes. This, in turn, will enable sponsors to expedite trial timelines, enhance data quality, and improve operational oversight, ultimately benefitting the industry as a whole.
In conclusion, it is imperative for stakeholders in the clinical research realm to leverage technology that alleviates the burden, rather than exacerbating it. By providing access to an integrated clinical technology ecosystem, the industry can work towards optimizing trial performance and ultimately improving the lives of patients in need.
Melissa Easy, Vice President and General Manager of Clinical Technologies at IQVIA, advocates for the utilization of orchestrated technology to bring patients, sites, and sponsors together. Through her strategic direction and development of technology-enabled services, Melissa aims to save time, money, and lives. As industry recognition, Melissa has received several awards, including the PharmaVoice 100 and the HBA Luminary.