Survey: COVID-19 the Tipping Point for Decentralized Clinical Trials

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted clinical operations and accelerated much-needed change, according to a new survey conducted by Informa Pharma Intelligence on behalf of Oracle Health Sciences. With patients unable to physically visit clinical trial sites, 76% of survey respondents noted that the pandemic sped their adoption of decentralized clinical trial methods. The same percentage (76%) reported at least some of their trials have already been decentralized, and 38% indicated more than half are decentralized. But despite this momentum, respondents said concerns remain around decentralized trial data collection and quality, as well as regulatory guidance.

“The pandemic will have a profound and lasting effect on clinical trials,” said Henry McNamara, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Health Sciences. “The survey results illustrate how quickly the industry has pivoted and adopted new approaches, such as decentralized clinical trial methods, to keep clinical research going in these unprecedented times. Fortunately, our technology supports this change today and is designed to carry the industry forward.”

The Accelerated Evolution of Clinical Trials in a Pandemic Environment survey, which was conducted from September 21 through November 11, 2020, gathered data from 252 respondents representing professionals from biopharmaceutical companies, CROs, and medical device companies involved in the operation and management of clinical trials. The respondents were located primarily in North America and Europe, with some representation from the Asia Pacific and the rest of the world.