Abstract
PurposeOptions for leveraging available telemedicine technologies, ranging from simple webcams and telephones to smartphone apps and medical-grade wearable sensors, are evolving faster than the culture of clinical research. Until recently, most clinical trials relied on paper-based processes and technology. This cost- and labor-intensive system, while slowly changing, remains an obstacle to new drug development. Alternatives that use existing tools and processes for collecting real-world data in home settings warrant closer examination. MethodsThe site-less clinical research organization (CRO) model, whereby pharmacists or other health care professionals provide useful and timely counseling for protocol compliance by regular phone and videoconferencing sessions, is a flexible approach to managing clinical trial participants directly from their homes. An expert panel, including clinical specialists in metabolic or neurodegenerative diseases, health information technology and CRO innovators, and the pharmaceutical industry, met in Dallas, Texas, December 2016, to discuss advancing avenues for site-less CRO and other remote clinical trial practices, taking into account investigator, sponsor, and regulatory perspectives. FindingsReal-time “site-less” management of clinical trials can augment traditional research and development methods by providing data from a broader, more diverse group of patients in real-world practice settings. This methodology also helps to proactively identify safety profile and operational issues. Current use of site-less CRO practices constitutes an important bridge to alternative trial models, including “large simple trials” that strive to answer one or two questions using data derived from representative patient populations treated in typical clinical settings. ImplicationsSite-less CROs offer a working example of how remote technologies and in-home monitoring methods can address shortcomings of conventional drug development. This model maximizes time and cost, as well as potentially earlier identification of adverse events. Coordinated communication among investigators, sponsors, regulators, and patients will be needed to develop standardized strategies for incorporating site-less CROs into current and future study design.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.