The future of clinical trials-is it virtual?

Area of Science:

• Clinical trial methodology
• Digital health innovations
• Healthcare accessibility

Background:

• Traditional clinical trial recruitment faces significant challenges, impacting timely therapeutic advancements.
• Evolving trial designs are necessary for efficient delivery, managing complex algorithms, and adapting to cultural shifts.

Approach:

• This review synthesizes recent literature and practical experience from a large industry-sponsored interventional trial.
• The study examined both traditional and decentralized clinical trial methods.

Key Points:

• Decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) utilize digital innovations to potentially improve participant recruitment and retention.
• DCTs enable remote research participation, broadening geographical diversity and minimizing patient burden.
• Future developments include recruitment platforms, automated participant identification, remote interaction technologies, and optimized intervention logistics.

Conclusions:

• Decentralized clinical trials represent a promising evolution in clinical research, addressing recruitment and retention issues.
• The focus of DCT development should be on widening participation and reducing healthcare inequalities.