Uncovering The Real Face of Innovation
In the echo chamber of innovation, it's easy to forget who we're building for. And sometimes, to forget that we're more than "just" tech companies.
As the World Vaccine Congress wrapped, Wessam Sonbol, CEO of Delve Health, offered a set of observations that cut through the noise. Study volumes are back to pre-pandemic levels. The energy is high. But the conversation has shifted. It's no longer about whether we can conduct vaccine trials quickly. It's about how fast we can deploy studies during outbreaks; without compromising inclusivity or quality.
Wessam highlighted three critical pain points: the need for speed and agility in trial deployment, the ongoing challenges of patient access and compliance - especially in global studies - and an often-overlooked issue: not every country, or location, has reliable connectivity. Offline access, multilingual support, and simplified user experiences aren’t luxuries. They’re baseline expectations in a globalized trial environment.
These takeaways demand more than our acknowledgment. They demand action and a collective rethink of how we design, deploy, and scale the tools that support clinical trials.
Access is More Than a Digital Login
In global studies, access isn’t about apps. It’s about infrastructure. It’s about trust. It’s about language, literacy, culture, and, yes, connectivity. Because when a patient is ready to join a study but can’t navigate a digital interface, or when a rural clinic drops off the grid, the entire trial ecosystem feels the ripple.
These aren’t edge cases. They are the reality for countless would-be participants worldwide.
Too many of today’s clinical tools were not built with these contexts in mind. They assume always-on internet, tech-literate users, and streamlined operational backbones. But trials don’t happen in controlled environments. They happen in messy, human, inconsistent ones.
From Platforms to Ecosystems
The industry needs a mindset shift: Away from rigid, one-size-fits-all platforms and toward agile, collaborative ecosystems. Real progress lies in tools that respond to the complexity on the ground. That means tech that adapts to the environment, not the other way around. Humans are still in control, and technology remains a tool.
Some companies are already doing this. Wessam's company, Delve Health, for example, is tackling the patient-facing side of the equation. Their focus on decentralized trials, remote patient monitoring, and in-home healthcare support helps bring studies directly to participants; particularly those who might otherwise be excluded due to geography or mobility.
Building the Bridge: Clinials' Role
Then there’s Clinials. We’re not the ones conducting the studies or collecting biological samples in the field. We don’t deliver wearables or manage home health visits. But we are the ones making it easier for those who do.
Clinials serves as the operational backbone. By empowering sponsors, CROs, and site teams to run trials that are both agile and compliant. From protocol deployment to real-time oversight, our platform streamlines and simplifies the communication required to keep complex studies on track.
When timelines are compressed, and compliance is non-negotiable, we ensure that the infrastructure fits in the existing workflows. And when the unexpected occurs, even if only in the form of protocol updates - as it often does in global trials - Clinials provides the visibility and control to adapt quickly.
Interoperability Is the New Innovation
The real future of clinical trials doesn’t rest on any single company. No matter how comprehensive a platform may seem, it will always need to integrate with others; or, at least, not hinder collaboration. Innovation now lies in interoperability. Systems that speak to each other, tools that plug in rather than shut out, and partnerships that recognize shared responsibility.
It’s time we stopped chasing the idea of a monolithic platform that does it all. The industry doesn’t need more vertical solutions. It needs a connected web of best-in-class tools working together to deliver outcomes.
Clinials and Delve Health represent two parts of that equation. One focused on operational excellence and clear patient content, the other on patient experience ind DCT's and monitoring. Together, they form part of a broader infrastructure aimed at making trials not just faster or cheaper, but more inclusive, responsive, and ultimately, more successful.
Rethinking Design Through the Lens of Inclusion
When we talk about digital transformation in clinical trials, the conversation often skews toward automation, AI, and scalability. But real transformation begins with inclusion. It starts by asking: who gets left out when we digitize too quickly, or design too narrowly?
Designing for the invisible patient means recognizing that accessibility isn’t a feature. It’s the foundation. That multilingual support, intuitive user experiences, and adaptable workflows aren’t add-ons. They’re essential. And not just for patients, but for the coordinators juggling multiple tools, the regulators demanding precision, and the sponsors managing risk.
We can no longer afford to treat inclusivity as a checkbox. In a world where the success of a vaccine trial can depend on reaching the last mile, inclusion is strategy.
A Look into the Future: Shared Infrastructure for Shared Outcomes
As the world recalibrates for post-pandemic realities, the challenge ahead isn’t just deploying trials faster. It is doing so without leaving people behind. Technology has a pivotal role to play, but only when paired with grounded thinking and cross-industry collaboration.
The companies that will shape the future of clinical research aren’t just those building extensive features or onboarding new AI models. They’re the ones building infrastructure - one that is reliable, flexible, and deeply human.
We will continue to do our part: enabling fast, compliant execution through a platform that’s built to flex. But we recognize we’re just one part of the solution. It’s through working alongside other technology organizations that we’ll truly move the needle.
Because when we design systems that serve the invisible patient, we build a future that doesn’t just move faster, it moves better.
It’s time to design clinical trials that see - and serve - everyone.
