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Automated matching software for clinical trials eligibility: measuring efficiency and flexibility
Lynne Penberthy1, Richard Brown, Federico Puma
1Dept of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Massey Cancer Center, United States. lpenbert@vcu.edui
Background:
Clinical trials (CT) serve as the media that translates clinical research into standards of care. Low or slow recruitment leads to delays in delivery of new therapies to the public. Determination of eligibility in all patients is one of the most important factors to assure unbiased results from the clinical trials process and represents the first step in addressing the issue of under representation and equal access to clinical trials.
Methods:
This is a pilot project evaluating the efficiency, flexibility, and generalizibility of an automated clinical trials eligibility screening tool across 5 different clinical trials and clinical trial scenarios.
Results:
There was a substantial total savings during the study period in research staff time spent in evaluating patients for eligibility ranging from 165h to 1329h. There was a marked enhancement in efficiency with the automated system for all but one study in the pilot. The ratio of mean staff time required per eligible patient identified ranged from 0.8 to 19.4 for the manual versus the automated process.
Conclusion:
The results of this study demonstrate that automation offers an opportunity to reduce the burden of the manual processes required for CT eligibility screening and to assure that all patients have an opportunity to be evaluated for participation in clinical trials as appropriate. The automated process greatly reduces the time spent on eligibility screening compared with the traditional manual process by effectively transferring the load of the eligibility assessment process to the computer.
Insights
Automating clinical trial (CT) eligibility screening significantly reduces staff time and enhances efficiency. This approach ensures all patients are evaluated for clinical trial participation, improving access and accelerating new therapy delivery.
Area of Science:
- Clinical research and development
- Health informatics
- Patient access to novel therapies
Background:
- Clinical trials (CT) are crucial for translating research into standard care.
- Slow or low patient recruitment in CT delays new therapy availability.
- Accurate eligibility determination is key for unbiased CT results and equitable patient access.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate an automated clinical trial eligibility screening tool.
- Assessed efficiency, flexibility, and generalizability across diverse CT scenarios.
Main Methods:
- Pilot project utilizing an automated eligibility screening tool.
- Evaluated tool performance across 5 distinct clinical trials.
- Compared automated screening with traditional manual methods.
Main Results:
- Substantial savings in research staff time (165-1329 hours).
- Marked efficiency enhancement with the automated system in most trials.
- Reduced staff time per eligible patient identified (0.8-19.4 ratio).
Conclusions:
- Automation reduces the burden of manual clinical trial eligibility screening.
- Ensures all appropriate patients are evaluated for CT participation.
- Automated systems transfer screening load to computers, saving time.
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