Global Call Centers For Life Sciences Organizations

By Michael Smyth, General Manager, TransPerfect Life Sciences Solutions

When we think of call centers, images of the past tend to come to mind. We are reminded of the switchboard ladies in Mad Men, or outsourced client service centers where operators may not have the right linguistic or industry-specific knowledge to fully assist the customer.

However, for today’s clinical trials (many of which are conducted overseas), the call center represents an important step forward. Equipped with modern-day technology and staffed by professional operators with subject-matter expertise, call centers can route calls from anywhere in the world and ensure that callers can ask questions and receive a response in their native languages.

According to an FDA report, 40-65 percent of FDA regulated studies were conducted outside the US in 2008. This shift towards a preference for international study sites has made 24/7/365 multilingual phone support all the more crucial.