Exploring the Benefits of Patient-Centric Clinical Trial Approach
Patient-centricity in Clinical Trial is an important aspect that can help in the enrolment and retention of patients. It addresses the growing expectations of an evolving patient group — who are actively engaged in healthcare — which helps study teams overcome the many hurdles they confront during the trials.
Patient-centric clinical trials are characterized by addressing the requirements of patients, ensuring solutions for engagement, providing incentives for consistent involvement, and supporting patient methods. The appropriate patients are the key to clinical trial success.
When it comes to clinical trial design, the product being evaluated — or the organization conducting the study — has always taken centre stage. Dropout rates are high in product-centric trials that ignore patient demands, and eventually, the data integrity becomes compromised.
A patient-centric approach entails being in the right place at the right time to identify, profile, and engage potential recruits. This aids in the selection of high-quality patients and, as a result, the generation of high-quality trial data. Ascertaining that the study is assessing outcomes that are significant to patients is a critical step in the patient-centric approach. Traditionally, the outcome measure was exclusively based on clinician opinion or study objectives, but there has been a growing push in recent years to include patients in the process.
Involving patients from the start, eliciting their perspectives and inputs into study designs, and taking into account their anxieties and expectations is the most effective strategy to obtain a better knowledge of their requirements. Patients’ requirements can be determined pre-trial and during the trial by using surveys, focus groups, and mid-way reviews, which can assist reduce the burden.
The Benefits of Patient-Centricity in Clinical Trials:
1. Improving Patient Engagement and Awareness- One of the advantages of taking a patient-centric approach is that patients are made aware of the possibility of participating in a clinical study. Companies that place a high emphasis on patients raise the awareness of their clinical trials to guarantee that the proper individuals are enrolled. Accessing patient databases and online patient portals to contact potential recruits all around the world is one way to accomplish this. Social media can also be used to run customized advertising campaigns that target the proper patient demographics.
2. Reducing Patient Drop-out Rates- Many participants struggle to stay in clinical trial research due to the impact on their daily life and the inconvenience of clinical trial protocols. More hands-on patient support and regular engagement touchpoints with patients, as provided by patient-centred initiatives, are clearly needed to promote retention. Patient drop-out rates can be effectively reduced by the utilization of a patient-centric approach. Patient education, patient and caregiver assistance, and appointment reminder aids are all patient-centric tactics that can encourage patients to complete a study.
3. Enhancing Patient Communication- Creating a channel for communication and constant feedback increase trial efficiency and ensure a higher level of overall trial engagement. It is crucial to communicate with patients in a fashion that they are comfortable with, as a result, patient apps and text messaging are becoming increasingly popular across different patient populations. It is also essential that the patients feel valued and eventually they can trust that their issues will be heard, considered, and resolved.
4. Cost-effective Trial Recruitment Process- Many firms struggle to attain necessary patient recruitments in a timely manner, which can impact the trial cost. However, the solution isn’t far distant. Patient-centric tactics can provide firms with a plethora of innovative ways to revamp patient recruitment in order to meet research objectives. It is vital that the long-term benefits of patient-centric tactics are accounted for in any cost accounting and proactive trial design, and that patient-centric organizations deliver data and information to Sponsors to back up the investment’s value. Patient feedback and mock trial visit can help to detect potential concerns before the protocol is finalized. Furthermore, adding direct patient input reduces the likelihood of an expensive protocol amendment later on, while ensuring a better study experience for all participants.
5. Improving Patient Experience- Patients frequently struggle with complicated protocol procedures, schedules, and consent forms, which can prevent them from participating in studies or cause them to drop out halfway through. It is essential to improve the patient experience by easing the strain on patients, caregivers, and families. With patient-centricity, researchers place a premium on the patient’s and caregiver’s experience by ensuring that procedures are simple and clear. Patients will be more inclined to provide detailed information about their results or outcomes if their experience is improved, which is essential for obtaining high-quality clinical data.
Conclusion
Patient centricity is a developing field, and new approaches to put patients at the center of research are emerging as the pharmaceutical industry attempts to make the patient journey easier. Patient centricity begins with the creation of easily accessible information, services, and support that fulfil patients’ informational demands. Research institutions can improve participation in clinical trials and, as a result, bring medical advances to the public sooner by providing a patient-centric clinical trial experience that removes barriers for participants.
A patient-centric approach to study design not only improves the experience of clinical trial participation, but also leads to increased patient recruitment and retention rates, better clinical trial outcomes, and getting life-changing technologies to market faster and on budget.
