Is it Time to Update Your Clinical Technology?

Modern technology has transformed many aspects of the clinical research process, speeding up pre-trial preparations and drug discovery. Yet even with these advancements, many clinical teams still face significant roadblocks during the trial start-up and execution phase. While that’s frustrating, the good news is that we’re now seeing changes in clinical technology that can help teams overcome those roadblocks. The solutions need not be complex either. It may simply be time to update your clinical technology to reflect the growth we’ve seen in the applications and platforms that support clinical teams.

Top Signs Your Clinical Technology is Impacting Your Research

Technology continues to advance at an exponential rate, yet many clinical trials are lagging behind in their use of technology. In fact, many might assert that it’s hampering research and the ability to share insights, especially across teams. For clinical operations teams, recognizing technology challenges is the first step to overcoming them and paving the way toward a smoother trial process.

Siloed Systems and Isolated Data

One of the most common issues in clinical trials is information fragmentation. Many organizations choose systems that don’t seamlessly communicate with each other, including electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment (eCOA), eConsent, Randomized and Trial Supply Management (RTSM), Electronic Data Capture (EDC), and others.

As a result of these data silos, critical trial data gets trapped, leading not only to inefficiencies and errors, but also creating challenges for decision-makers who rely on a holistic view of a trial’s progress to adjust protocols and parameters.

Data Errors or Inaccurate Information

Many study teams still rely on manual data entry and outdated technology, which can result in errors. These errors, including inaccurate or inconsistent data, can jeopardize the integrity of your research. Unfortunately, when data errors become frequent, the reliability of your trial outcomes comes into question. 

Furthermore, poor data quality and errors often require teams to allocate extra time for corrections and revalidations, which delays the trial timeline. 

Delayed Trial Timelines

Now, perhaps more than ever, time is of the essence for clinical research. Delays during trials affect budgets and, ultimately, hold back potential treatments from reaching patients faster.

Relying on outdated or non-integrated technology slows down data capture and analysis. These bottlenecks require manual intervention, further slowing down your team and diverting their attention to non-research, critical tasks.

Rising Operational Costs

Operational inefficiencies translate into higher costs. When clinical technology isn’t optimized, redundant systems and manual corrections add up, straining your team and your budget.

Difficulty Scaling or Modifying Trial Designs

Clinical research is inherently dynamic. Trial designs are often adapted based on interim data, regulatory feedback, or emerging insights. When teams develop workarounds at the startup stage, they may lock themselves into systems that become even more of a hindrance later, when protocols must be adjusted or scaled.

And, if additional workarounds or custom coding are required, teams will likely incur extra costs and delays. 

Patient Friction and Retention Issues

At the heart of every clinical trial is the participant. For that reason, clinical technology should simplify and facilitate communication and participation. But, when tech issues are frequent, interfaces are needlessly complex or outdated, and communication is difficult, participant experience suffers, directly impacting recruitment and retention.

Thankfully, technology is catching up to help alleviate these challenges.

Top Advantages of Updating Your Clinical Technology

Updating your clinical tech stack can help reshape the way you conduct clinical trials, from streamlining workflows to enhancing patient engagement and ultimately improving outcomes.

Enhanced Communication and Collaboration

Modern clinical technology solutions break down traditional barriers between departments. Integrated platforms that combine lab instruments, eCOA, and real-time data analytics create a unified communication channel for clinical teams.

When all stakeholders, from lab technicians to clinical operations teams, can access data through a centralized system, it fosters real-time collaboration and informed decision-making. In practical terms, this means observations made in the lab or via patient-reported outcomes (PROs) can be shared quickly. In turn, this allows researchers to address concerns and, when necessary, communicate with participants, which also boosts their engagement and satisfaction.

Reduced Costs and Faster Trial Timelines

When outdated, siloed systems are replaced with integrated technology, operational expenses tend to drop significantly.

Those integrations help eliminate redundant processes, saving both time and resources. Similarly, faster data capture and error reduction translate into accelerated trial timelines.

Minimizing bottlenecks and delays associated with a fragmented system means clinical teams can move more rapidly from data collection to analysis, speeding up and improving decision-making while shortening trial length. Improved efficiency lowers your budget and helps bring potential therapies to market faster.

Improved Trial Outcomes and Patient Accessibility

Upgrading clinical technology is not just about process efficiency—it’s also about enhancing the overall quality of trials.

With integrated solutions supported by AI and advanced analytics, data accuracy is increased, and real-time insights can help guide trial design adaptations. This adaptability leads to better patient outcomes, as protocols can be fine-tuned to address emerging trends or issues during the trial.

Additionally, user-friendly interfaces on modern eCOA solutions make it easier for patients to participate in the trial process and for teams to communicate as needed. Improved systems mean the trial can capture high-quality, comprehensive data from all participants.

For clinical operations teams, embracing advanced clinical technology means moving toward a more integrated, responsive, and practical approach to clinical trials. With this approach, every data point, from lab results to patient feedback, works together to advance research and ultimately improve patient care and outcomes.

Integrations, eCOAs, and Your Clinical Tech Stack

Integrations are the foundation of modern clinical technology. When your clinical tech stack is interconnected, the benefits multiply across the board, from mitigating manual errors to dramatically reducing delays in everything from communication and decision-making to trial outcomes.

For example, seamless integrations between your eCOA solution and other systems such as eConsent, RTSM, and EDC enable a seamless flow of data, minimizing the risk of transcription errors and misunderstandings. Study teams can confidently oversee trial progress knowing that every piece of data is accurately and easily synced across various platforms.

Perhaps one of the most important factors here is that when systems communicate seamlessly, the transfer of information from one component, such as patient-reported outcomes captured via eCOA, to another, like RTSM or administrative functions in a CTMS, becomes nearly instantaneous. This not only reduces the risk of error but also ensures the most up-to-date information is always available. This kind of connectivity is crucial for accelerating trial timelines because it allows for quick adjustments to study protocols or risk management strategies based on real-time data.

When your eCOA solution works with your other eClinical technologies, without requiring custom coding, data consistency is easily maintained throughout the entire trial lifecycle. This offers clinical teams the ability to pivot in response to new information and emerging trends.

Similarly, incorporating specialized tools like eConsent into your clinical tech stack further streamlines the research process by ensuring patient enrollment and consent procedures are both compliant and efficient.In short, a fully integrated clinical technology stack with built-in eCOA integrations can enhance collaboration, leading to improved data quality, faster decision-making, and better overall outcomes in clinical research.

In short, a fully integrated clinical technology stack with built-in eCOA integrations can enhance collaboration, leading to improved data quality, faster decision-making, and better overall outcomes in clinical research.

Ensuring ROI with Updated Clinical Technology

When it comes to upgrading and updating clinical technology, accelerating research is a top priority, but so is turning those investments into competitive advantages.

When clinical teams integrate modern, interoperable systems, they not only enhance workflow efficiency and data integrity but also reduce trial timelines and create better patient outcomes. Upgrades are strategic, and investing in innovation now sets the stage for ongoing improvements.

More concretely, you’ll be able to see measurable returns via:

• Long-Term Cost Reductions:

  • Streamlining workflows, minimizing redundant systems, and reducing error-driven rework lead to significant cost efficiencies over time.

• Improved Trial Outcomes:

  • Enhanced data accuracy and real-time insights drive better decision-making, resulting in more successful trial results and, potentially, faster regulatory approval.

• Optimized Workflows Free Up Resources:

  • Automated processes and integrated systems help reduce manual tasks, allowing clinical teams to focus on research-critical tasks.

• Enhanced Staff Collaboration and Communication:

  • A unified tech stack simplifies daily operations and improves communication, making clinical staff more productive and able to respond promptly.

• Increased Participant Responsiveness:

  • User-friendly interfaces and modern clinical technology featuring streamlined integrations improve patient engagement, leading to higher retention rates and more reliable data collection.

    
    

In clinical trials, reliance on technology is commonplace; yet updating that technology is not always prioritized. Clinical teams seeking ways to boost efficiency and reduce trial delays are likely to find that investing in updated technology is balanced by long-term operational benefits and improved clinical trial performance.

Over the last decade, we’ve seen significant advancements in clinical technology, but some of those solutions could still be improved. New solutions that identify bottlenecks and challenges and then innovate to solve them are, thankfully, here. Tryal’s eCOA solution, for example, stands at the forefront of this transformation.

Our eCOA solution effortlessly integrates with other applications vital to the clinical process. From eConsent and RTSM to CTMS and other key systems, our platform not only streamlines data flow and enhances communication but also ensures faster trial timelines and improved outcomes.

If you’re ready to see the difference, we’re ready to show you how you can overcome today’s clinical challenges. Book a demo with us today.