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Commentary|Videos|March 25, 2025

Reliance on Traditional Research Methods

In this video interview, Rachael Higgins, chief commercial officer, PicnicHealth, talks traditional research methods in clinical trials and why industry leaders remain reliant on them.

In a recent video interview with Applied Clinical Trials, Rachael Higgins, chief commercial officer, PicnicHealth, discussed the company’s recently released 2025 Annual State of Observational Research Report. She highlighted some of the key findings including the persistence of more traditional research methods as well as how patient retention and incomplete data are creating challenges for the industry.

ACT: Why do you think so many industry leaders are still reliant on more traditional research methods?

Higgins: I think about this all the time. I think this is probably the number one thing that people in my space think about. I think it's just comfort. I think people are comfortable with what they know, right? While the industry has mounting pressures to do things differently, and they know this, it's kind of like the devil you know, right? Even though they find they're spending way more money than they need to, things are taking way too long, they're not retaining patients, they’re certainly not getting the data that they need, they're like, “Well, we know this. It's tried and true, so we're more comfortable doing that.” That being said, as we mentioned those stats before, 78% of the folks that we actually interviewed are definitely open to doing things in other ways. I think it's just going to have to be continually talking to them, educating them, explaining to them that while it is different, different doesn't necessarily mean scary, and it could certainly be advantageous for them in the end.

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