Addressing Global Workflow Complexities For Clinical Trials

By Ryan Kelly, Product Manager for eClinicalGPS, Greenphire

Clinical trials are becoming increasingly globalized. The most striking result of this trend is that several newer markets are becoming recurring contributors to clinical research, bringing new medications and treatments to market. This trend is only increasing – with Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) being a prime example of emerging clinical trial regions.

Poland, in particular, has proven to play a much larger role in the clinical research industry over the years. According to ClinicalTrials.gov, from 2000 to 2010 there were nearly 2,000 study starts. That number has more than doubled over the past decade with approximately 4,500 study starts in Poland between 2010 and 2020.

While still comprising a relatively small percentage of global clinical trial activity, the steady increase indicates that these regions should not be ignored but rather supported in their growth. There are, however, challenges associated with conducting clinical trials in newer markets. Processes and regulations may differ by country/region, making standardization across a global study nearly impossible.

As it relates to clinical and administrative workflows, one-size does not fit all. For example, sites in Poland have different requirements and processes than sites in the United States. As such, solutions that are built to streamline site workflows cannot address all markets as if they are the same.

The key to developing solutions that meet all clinical and administrative workflow requirements and regulations is to listen to those who live and breathe these processes.