As of October 2022, there are approximately 430,800 (YTD) clinical studies registered globally. The number of trials has significantly grown since 2,119 registrations in 2000. Hospitals and clinics are increasingly leveraging connected devices, and market research is indicating that there is accelerated adoption and growth opportunities for clinical trials.
So, what are decentralised clinical trials or DCTs? There are two different types of DCT models: hybrid and fully decentralised clinical trials. Hybrid models include both traditional in-person and virtual visits. One primary difference is the use of handheld mobile devices and connected medical devices such as blood pressure cuffs, blood glucose meters, and more. Fully virtual clinical trials are 100 percent remote with no clinician-to-patient interaction. This model relies on e-visits and video teleconferencing for patient engagement.
DCT practice began prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the connected health industry began to see a major shift to clinical trials in 2020. According to McKinsey & Company, telehealth utilisation was 78 times higher after April 2020 than in February 2020.
The benefits of DCTs are invaluable – improved accuracy in readings, increased patient retention, and real-time communications are all important factors that IoT contributes to this market. A Mobile Health in Clinical Trials Survey Report conducted by SCORR Marketing and Applied Clinical Trials found that 35.2 percent of respondents reported improved data quality, 28.5 percent reported improved patient engagement, and 12.3 percent reported improvement in patient recruitment.
However, benefits come with barriers, and knowing how to solve for success is crucial. There are several challenges that can delay deployment: device management, regulation and compliance, network security, and hardware selection to name a few. Some key factors to consider when deploying DCTs are site feasibility, robust technology, data strategy, and site staff training.
KORE partners with global healthcare providers to deploy connectivity in over 165 countries, with 200+ clinical trials supported, and more than 60,000 devices sustained. Our award-winning Connected Health Telemetry Solution brides the technology gap from patients to healthcare applications. Are you ready for decentralised clinical trials? Take our short readiness assessment here.
And for more information on how to solve for success in DCTs, watch our on-demand webinar, “The Problem with Decentralised Clinical Trials & How to Solve for Success,” with KORE EVP of Connected Health, Bryan Lubel, and Parexel Sensor Solutions Director, Nathan Noakes, here.