The time for virtual clinical trials is now
The clinical trial landscape is continually adapting its focus on patient-centric practices to improve clinical trial participation by reducing patients' burden. Over the past few years, this shift has focused on the idea of bringing the clinical trial to the patient's home, an evident disruption of trial conduct today. Adoption had not been widespread; however, the COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly turned this ideology into a necessary reality.The time for virtual trial adoption is now. A flexible virtual clinical trial approach is the solution.
What is a virtual or hybrid clinical trial?
Everyone refers to and defines virtual trials differently because we can virtualize many aspects of clinical trials. So, at what point is a trial considered "virtual"?
At Veristat, a virtual trial eases patients' burden by delivering the clinical trial directly to them. Specifically, patient interactions occur remotely in the home or through a hybrid combination of visits held at home, on-site, or at local community testing centers. We have developed a virtual trials ecosystem that includes new strategies, processes, technologies, and specialized vendors to customize the virtual trial experience.
Solving today's clinical trial challenges with a virtual clinical trial approach
A virtual clinical trial approach is both flexible and customizable to each patient's needs and trial design. For example, traditional on-site activities such as dosing, lab work, and follow-up can be conducted remotely at home or through a hybrid model that combines both on-site and at-home visits. In some cases, the investigational product (IP) may be shipped directly to the patient or brought to the patient by a traveling nurse. In other situations, nurses conduct at-home visits to dose patients. They also collect demographic information, vital signs, and perform simple lab work. When needed, a patient might visit a local lab for more complex lab work. The investigator/doctor can conduct some visits with the patient through telemedicine as well. The customizations are infinite.
Download our infographic to learn how virtual trials are defined, the tool kits required to run a virtual trial, examples of what the patient experience can look like, and an understanding of the benefits that ultimately improve clinical trial efficiency.
Shaheen Limbada is executive vice president of global clinical operations at Veristat