It should come as no surprise that the volume and diversity of clinical trial data is expected to rapidly increase over the next few years. The proliferation of mobile health tech, real world evidence (RWE), electronic data capture (EDC) systems, etc. in the clinical trial space is making it easier for researchers to collect a copious amount of data not easily accessible just a decade ago. However, similar to other vital resources, clinical trial data must be appropriately collected, stored, and analyzed to be useful to the researcher and ultimately the patient.
The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) recently discussed a new research report from Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development. The report, included in the 2017 eClinical Landscape Study, illuminates the desire of companies involved in clinical research to faster and more accurate decisions during trials.
A few key takeaways from the report:
- 97% of companies expect to use more clinical data from a broader variety of sources in the next three years
- 70% expect to use a data source outside of what they are currently using
- 77% express challenges with their current electronic data capture (EDC) system
- 93% plan to use eInformed consent data in the next three years (currently at 62% today)
- The majority of respondents expect to use mHealth and smart phone data in the next three years
Currently, life science companies use an average of four data sources in clinical trials today and that figure will nearly double in the next three years. Additionally, contract research organizations (CROs) report they plan to “use more data sources than sponsors, and those with the highest trial volumes (greater than 15 trials per year) say they will use more sources of clinical data within the next three years compared to those with lower trial volumes.”1
The life science industry continues to adopt digital health technology and real-world patient data to facilitate product development and research processes. To take advantage of the benefits that new data types and sources can yield, it is vital that researchers implement the appropriate tools and methods to effectively capture, store, and analyze clinical trial data. Pearl IRB is dedicated to expediting the clinical research process, and our experts are here to help. Contact us today to begin the conversation.
1https://www.acrpnet.org/2017/11/13/clinical-trial-data-sources-poised-spike/