Here to Stay – Hybrid Trials Impact On Clinical Research

Also known as remote trials, decentralized or virtual trials, hybrid trials seem to be creating a place in the clinical trial world. But are they here to stay? Truth be told, there is a rapid uptake of these trial designs by a clinical research organization where patients participate in the Veristat study in the comfort of their homes. This is more prevalent since it’s a better option for patients rather than having to exclusively participate in the trial while making visits to a clinic.

Though the health industry has yet to develop a standard way of performing the hybrid trials, they have proven to be much more efficient than traditional clinical studies. Hybrid trials require technology adaptation in the trial process, which has been more successful than ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. Research organization like Veristat offers a range of tech solutions that will ease your study process.

Here are some of the reasons why hybrid trials are here to stay and why you need to consider adopting them in your organization:

The growing adoption of health technologies

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional workplaces transitioned to remote work environments that leveraged collaboration and communication tools to connect teams. Fitness wearables such as Strava and Apple made it easier for research teams to monitor the patients’ health from anywhere. Remote televisits with doctors become more common than it was before. Physicians also reported to their sponsors using remote technology most of the time. There was an increase in comfort levels during the remote trials, leading to an increase in patient engagement and retention even after the pandemic.

Improved data collection

Hybrid trial data collection tools, including voice, camera, video, sensors, and actigraphy, are now being increasingly validated. The regulatory acceptance during the pandemic has also led to new guidelines that allow more use of trial technologies. Some of the methods that have been approved include remote monitoring: telehealth, direct-to-patient shipments, and virtual trial sites, among others. As the adoption and acceptance of the hybrid trials become more mainstream, sponsors plan to conduct most of the trials remotely.

The industry is shifting toward patient-centric trials

The clinical trial industry has pivoted towards remote trials due to the rise of the pandemic. As the trials are being implemented, there is a huge impact on patient retention and adherence. This is attributed to the fact that most remote trials are more patient-centric than they have ever been before. Trials are more centered on the patient’s comfort, making them feel more important when working with the investigators. On the other hand, the study investigators can gather more diver information and applicable data that help come up with more meaningful study results.

Embracing decentralization through digitization

Hybrid tech keeps evolving hence the need to keep supporting and streamlining your clinical trial process. The pandemic propelled the industry to digitization. Sponsors are now embracing decentralized solutions, and they are keen to consider them to help scale and grow the industry for the future.

Hybrid trials are here to stay. They have proven to produce more meaningful results than traditional clinical trials since they allow diverse patients, hence diverse data for the trial analysis.