Recent world events have brought many changes to the healthcare industry, including the acceleration of decentralised clinical trials. Decentralised trials involve conducting clinical trials outside of traditional clinical settings, such as hospitals and clinics, and utilising technologies such as telehealth and wearable devices to gather data from patients in their own homes.
According to a recent report, decentralised clinical trials are set to reach new heights with a projected 28% increase in 2023. This growth is being driven by several factors, including the need to reduce costs, improve patient recruitment and retention, and increase the efficiency of clinical trials.
One of the key drivers of this growth is the widespread adoption of telehealth during the pandemic. In 2020, 76% of patients reported using telehealth as a replacement for cancelled healthcare visits, a massive increase from the 11% reported in the previous year. Telehealth has enabled patients to participate in clinical trials from the comfort of their own homes, removing the need for travel and reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
Decentralised trials also offer several other benefits, including the ability to recruit a more diverse patient population, improve patient engagement and retention, and reduce the time and cost of clinical trials. By enabling patients to participate in trials from anywhere in the world, decentralised trials can also help to speed up the drug development process and bring new treatments to market more quickly.
However, there are also challenges to overcome when conducting decentralised trials. These include ensuring data security and privacy, maintaining regulatory compliance, and providing support to patients who may not be familiar with the technology being used.
Despite these challenges, the rise of decentralised clinical trials is set to continue, driven by the need to make clinical trials more patient-centric and efficient. With the increasing adoption of telehealth and wearable devices, and the growing acceptance of remote clinical trials by regulatory bodies, the future of clinical research is looking increasingly decentralised. To learn more about the current growth and implications of decentralised clinical trials, be sure to read our article at HealthNewsTribute.
