Workflow optimisation is about using strategies and tactics to improve the efficiency of administrative and other processes in clinical trials. A successful workflow optimisation will reduce costs, decrease the incidence of errors and time spent completing clinical trials. This blog explains the significance of using Workflow optimisation strategies in the clinical trial progress by reflecting on both sides, including trial outcomes with and without Workflow optimisation strategies.
Annually, it costs the industry $4 billion for clinical trial support technologies. However, 90% of clinical trials get delayed in some way. Also, clinical sites are forced to perform manual recruitment and enrolment of patients due to improper workflow optimisation or unavailability of suitable tools for the recruitment process, which results in inefficiency and delays in clinical trials.
When conducting a clinical trial’s enrolment and pre-screening, many pharmaceutical and medical device sponsors and researchers still tend to use outdated methods such as excel spreadsheets, trackers and hard copy prints. Yet, a small percentage of clinical studies have been able to recruit enough participants or enable enrolment promptly, which results in massive progress in medication research.
Nevertheless, many components in the clinical trial pipeline still remain delayed, including recruitment and enrolment. Therefore, the challenge is nailing to stay on top of the clinical trial enrolment trend without burdening sites with excessive data entry, numerous platforms and constant check-in calls.
Planning Ahead
Clinical trial sponsors need to know which locations are well-equipped to fulfil study objectives and to review protocol screening criteria while keeping this information in mind:
- Do their providers and other facilities have the capacity to support the protocol visit schedule for the number of patients that the study aims to enrol?
- Do protocol procedures require equipment that may be in high demand in a smaller or more remote site?
If this evaluation is done upfront, it will save time and resources. In order to do that upfront, technology such as Clinials and effective marketing methods can increase enrolment in under-enrolling or zero-enrolment settings.
At Clinials, we value the time of the researchers, Clinicians and all the other stakeholders involved in the clinical trial. An optimised workflow will give the stakeholders better visibility of the trial progress and help manage the participants better. The participants go through a series of stages before they are enrolled in the actual trial. Managing the participants efficiently through each stage is crucial for retaining the eligible participants.
Clinials platform uses intelligent algorithms to identify a prospective participant and define a workflow to engage with the participants so that the participant gets a positive experience throughout the trial procedure. Clinical trial researchers will also be able to define their own workflow based on the trial’s needs as different trials may have different needs. The workflow may also vary from site to site.