Reducing Site Burden Through Better Technology Integration in Clinical Trials

Prior to the 2025 SCRS Global Site Solutions Summit, Applied Clinical Trials caught up with Robin Douglas, VP, research site engagement, Medidata; and Steve Rosenberg, CEO, uMotif, to discuss how growing technology demands are straining clinical trial sites. Douglas highlighted the challenges of interoperability and data integration as sites juggle 20 to 200 active studies—often using 20 or more systems per trial. Rosenberg emphasized the additional strain caused by patient-facing technologies, as sites are now responsible for managing devices, apps, and multilingual support. Together, they explored how sponsors and vendors can reduce redundancy, strengthen site-patient relationships, and enhance overall trial efficiency.

Douglas:I think what we hear the most is because sponsors can pick and choose their tech stack, we see a lot of challenges with the lack of interoperability, and the lack of integration, which are the two biggest challenges that sites face today. If you can imagine how complex their world is, they're doing anywhere from 20-200 trials, they're working on anywhere from 20-22 systems per trial, it gets complicated with having to manage the multiple passwords. It's just the different pieces and parts, and then multiple costs and double data entry is very much a challenge that we hear from our sites.

Rosenberg: Over the years, as more technology has been put in the hands of the patients, it's done through the site. The sites are being asked to set up Bluetooth, provision phones, set up wearable devices, and all kinds of things. It puts a big burden on the site. This technology is awesome, it makes clinical trials so much better, but it puts a burden on sites. The sites are also the place that the patients go to with their questions. Now, what vendors can do, and what we do, is we set up multilingual supports where patients and sites can call for help, but I really think what's going to need to happen is the sites are going to have to decide that they're going to have to provide that kind of support directly to the patients, to foster that relationship between the patient and the site, and not push it off to anyone else.