Fit for the future: empowering clinical trials with digital technology
Dipak Kotecha, Adam D. DeVore, Folkert W. Asselbergs
Abstract
Flowchart of clinical trial processes (left), starting with identification of a key evidence gap and the ethical rationale for a controlled clinical trial. In the centre, major barriers and limitations to successful completion of a clinical trial. On the right, how digital innovations are currently being used to enhance clinical trials and lead to more cost-efficient and generalizable results. Transparency of methods and best practice approaches are paramount, for example by following the CODE-EHR global framework for the use of health data in research.1 See Moore et al., 2020 for further details on the cost of trials; Walters et al., 2017 for further details on recruitment challenges; and Bunting et al., 2021 for how patient and public involvement (PPI) can be integrated throughout the research life-cycle, as per the PPI-POSITIVE approach.2–4 EHR = electronic healthcare record; SAE = serious adverse event.