Recently, we participated in the global meeting of research centers of the Society for Clinical Research Sites – SCRS in Hollywood – Florida. Today, we want to share with you some topics that we identified and will be important for the clinical research industry for research sites.
- Participant-centered care: A participant-centered and needs-based approach will be essential to ensure the experience, satisfaction, and adherence to the study. Research centers can offer participants personalized or adapted services to population groups, such as educational support, family inclusion, and flexible participation options such as home visits and remote monitoring.
- Recruitment in the digital world: More and more participants are looking for information, education, and enrolling in clinical trials through digital channels. This requires sites to develop effective multi-channel recruitment strategies that leverage digital channels. Not only is this useful for recruitment, but it can also be used for awareness campaigns, community education, and relationship-building with other stakeholders. In addition, sponsors are increasingly looking for research sites that are visible in the digital space to demonstrate their positioning, credibility, authority, and experience.
- Diversity: The diversity of participants is essential to ensure that the results of clinical trials are generalizable to the general population. While regulatory bodies in the United States are requiring these practices, it is expected that research sites in regions such as Latin America, which are demographically diverse, will also develop these practices and other strategies to recruit diverse participants. This could include community-based recruitment strategies, language adaptation, and educational programs.
- Adoption of technology: The adoption of technology is crucial for enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness, and safety of clinical trials. Research centers can make investments in clinical trial management systems and advanced technologies such as Trial360, which can aid in automating tasks, centralizing data, and streamlining communication. In recent years, there has been a surge in the development and publication of quality standards governing the use of technology in clinical trials, making it increasingly secure to transition research center activities to validated and audited software.
Sites can easily adapt to these changes and trends by partnering with a technology company. Integra IT has developed the only all-in-one solution on the market that allows research centers to efficiently manage all aspects of clinical trials, including CTMS, scheduling, eSource/EHR, laboratory, pharmacy, human resources, finance, purchasing, billing, and a comprehensive suite of marketing apps. Talk with our medical expert about deploying Trial360 in your site here.
