From decentralized clinical trial models and shifting patient profiles to increased protocol complexity and new technologies, clinical research physicians and their sites are facing an ever-evolving trial landscape that continuously presents new challenges. Whether you’re an experienced research site or a medical institution looking to break into research, how can you overcome these challenges for the benefit of your practice and your patients?
Our latest webinar, The Evolving Research Landscape: Challenges Faced by Experienced & New to Research Sites, offers expert insights into the modern world of clinical trials as well as research best practices. Featuring Elligo Health Research’s Katie Eyestone, MPA, Senior Vice President of Research Partnerships, and Riley Kammer, Vice President of Network Expansion, this webinar covers three essential topics:
- Common challenges faced by clinical research sites
- The overall clinical trial landscape
- Must-have tips for sustainable research success
Common Challenges Faced by Clinical Research Sites
While each site is unique, many are experiencing difficulties in three key areas. The first is the ebb and flow in trial volume. The number of available trials in each therapeutic area can dramatically shift from quarter to quarter, month to month, and even week to week, impacting a site’s capacity, efficiency, and revenue. Second, sites are challenged by the tightening of study populations and protocols. As eligibility criteria becomes more and more restrictive and specific to certain patient populations, sites face tougher patient enrollment, more vendors, a need for more staff, and even longer business hours. Third, modern research is expanding into new trial models, including traditional, hybrid, and decentralized, virtual, or in-home models, necessitating even more changes at the site level.
In this portion of the webinar, Katie and Riley dive deeper into each of these three challenges and explore how they can impact your research practice.
The Overall Clinical Research Landscape
From new methods of clinical data management to innovative technology, the research landscape is ever evolving. Katie and Riley focus on two main aspects of modern research: therapeutic area trends and new trial models.
Sites often experience ebbs and flows in the number of trials in each area and some indications within each area. Riley explores why this ebb and flow occurs and offers data on the number of trials by therapeutic area, as well as the top 10 therapeutic areas by studies seen. Sites are also experiencing an increase in the different types of trial models, such as hybrid, virtual, and in-home trials. Riley also explores the details, benefits, and downsides of each trial model and offers insights into how widespread each might become in the coming years.
Best Practices for Research Success
How can sites overcome and navigate all these challenges and changes? Establishing a clear strategy will mitigate challenges and set you up for success despite changes, whether you’re facing trial ebb and flow or an increase in virtual or hybrid trials.
Expanding into new therapeutic areas will protect your site from the ebb and flow of available trials and foster better relationships with sponsors who work in multiple areas, meaning more grant money and better research agreements. Riley offers practical tips for expanding into new therapeutic research spaces, including what factors to consider when choosing new areas and a step-by-step process for making this transition.
Participating in virtual or hybrid trials will give you experience in these fast-growing models, increase your patient centricity, and make you more attractive to sponsors. But running virtual or hybrid trials is very different from running site-based studies, which means a lot of preparation and flexibility is required. Katie walks through a specific path to participating in virtual or hybrid trials, providing insights that will help you set your site up for success in this area.
Watch the Webinar Recording
For further insights into the ever-evolving clinical research landscape and more detailed information on best-practice tips, watch the recording of The Evolving Research Landscape: Challenges Faced by Experienced & New to Research Sites.