The digital transformation of clinical trials
Tegan Oliver 
Date published: Apr 18, 23
In the wake of a new digital era, it’s important that organisations make the most of available technologies in a way that’s going to benefit crucial work in the pharmaceutical industry. So, what does this mean for Contract Research Organisations (CROs) and the support they provide to pharmaceutical and medical device industries?
How can technology help clinical trials?
There are numerous ways that technology can help clinical trials. At the most general level, technology helps organisations make clinical trials easier and more efficient. Conducting a clinical trial is a huge undertaking and it’s one of the most crucial stages in drug development, if not the most important one.
They are incredibly costly and time-consuming endeavors that involve multiple different stakeholders and approval stages. A study by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) in collaboration with Battelle outlines that the cost of 6,199 biopharmaceutical sponsored clinical trials in the U.S. in just one year (2013) was $10 billion. In addition, while there’s no set average time for the completion of all the phases of a clinical trial, they can take anything up to 10-15 years in total.
With so many resources going into a clinical trial, it’s important to approach the associated tasks in the best way. The industry have already proven they are capable of change and adopting digital transformation with the rapid development of the Covid-19 vaccines. Now is the time to build on this and use the advantages of technology to improve the approach to clinical trials.
What does the digitalisation of clinical trials look like for CRO’s?
Given the current capabilities of technology, it is no surprise that Contract Research Organisations are turning to digital solutions to assist with streamlining processes and accelerating the progress clinical trials have already achieved. In fact, CROs are leading the way in this shift, with 90 having planned initiatives in place to achieve this.
Focusing on the documentation side of things, CROs rely on numerous subject matter experts and opinion leaders to give their input and approval on the work they provide. They also need to ensure all the data they include is correct, up to date and compliant with FDA regulations. The right document collaboration solution provides a more controlled process for CROs to work on important documents with better transparency and accountability in significantly less time.
What are the benefits of digitising clinical trials?
When provided with the right solutions, the digitalisation of clinical trials benefits organisations, participants and patients alike. In a costly and highly competitive market, every second counts in all stages of a clinical trial, which is why it is imperative to have access to the largest data pools with a time efficient process.
Three key benefits of digitisation in clinical trials include:
- Accessibility for patients
Digitising clinical trials makes it easier and more flexible for patients to take part and, crucially, to continue to do so for the duration of the time they are needed. With patient dropouts affecting 85% of clinical trials, increasing the accessibility of participation can only be a positive thing. In turn, this would help to improve the collection of conclusive results and speed up the overall time it takes to gather the information needed. - Increasing efficiency
Collaboration and communication across the globe has never been easier with software solutions offering teams the opportunity to work more efficiently than ever before. Paired with real-time document collaboration, clinical trials can save more time whilst adhering to industry standards every step of the way. - Reducing costs
One of the big draws of using technology for clinical trials is the potential for significant cost savings. With the complexity and time-consuming nature of conducting clinical trials, organisations are under increasing pressure to reduce costs. The right technology solution can uphold quality standards while providing a time saving of 65%.
The future of clinical trials
The digitalisation of clinical trials is an exciting journey with a lot of potential for fixing inefficiencies and strengthening collaboration during each phase of a clinical trial. Improved operation management, better collaboration between stakeholders and saving valuable time and money are some of the key possibilities of digitisation. All these factors combine to improve patient outcomes and speed up the process of delivering new treatments into the market without compromising quality.
Want to learn more?
Take a look at our e-book ‘Driving document review efficiency in CROs' where we look at how to enhance the value and increase the efficiency of document reviews in contract research organisations (CROs).
Download the e-book