Could Greater Adoption Of Mobile Nurse Visits Lead To Faster Study Results?

Clinical research is inherently time-consuming, and rightly so. The process involves accumulating a substantial volume of data to verify the safety and effectiveness of an experimental treatment. This data collection spans three or four distinct trial phases, each progressively involving more participants. The goal is to mitigate risks, optimize dosages, and comprehend the long-term effects of a drug.

According to the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, this entire process can span the better part of a decade. Research from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development indicates that timelines are extending further, with an average increase of 6.7 months over a ten-year period. Delays are commonplace, often stemming from challenges in participant enrollment, and they frequently contribute to escalating costs.

A recent strategy gaining prominence is decentralization, which involves enabling patients to receive doses, provide samples, and undergo clinical assessments through remote visits conducted by registered nurses. The rationale is to adopt a more patient-centric approach to research, eliminating the need for patients to travel inconvenient distances to research sites. As sponsors seek to minimize trial delays and get new therapies to market faster, explore whether increased adoption of a more patient-centric approach could make a difference to timelines.