How Can Sponsors Improve DCT Site Staff's Training, Education, And Stress Levels?
By Life Science Connect Editorial Staff
Recently, three decentralized clinical trial (DCT) experts joined Clinical Leader Live to discuss DCT staffing issues. Guests Jimmy Bechtel, VP of site engagement for the Society of Clinical Research Sites (SCRS); Brad Hightower, CEO of Hightower Clinical; and Karri Venn, COO, president, and chair of the operating board at Centricity Research, lent their expertise and answered questions from the audience. View the entire webinar on Clinical Leader Live.
How Can Sponsors Reduce DCT Training Time?
As DCTs proliferate, so does the technology required to implement them. Sites are being asked to conduct more training programs than ever before to learn how to use these technologies. Sites are also asked to train patients to use devices and data collection software for DCTs. Bechtel explained that, traditionally, sites were not compensated for their training time, but as sites spend more and more time on training programs, sponsors should rethink their expectations.
“Training time takes away from other trial-related tasks that site staff would much rather be doing, like recruiting and treating patients and screening patients into the study,” explained Bechtel. “From a site perspective, compensation for this training would alleviate some of this burden. Sponsors should recognize that they’re asking sites to use a piece of technology that is not part of their cost of doing business.”
Even sites that are experienced in DCT technology need time to adjust to new vendors and systems. Bechtel pointed out that there are hundreds of DCT technology suppliers that offer a wide variety of solutions. Just because site personnel are familiar with one system doesn’t mean they’ll immediately adapt to a new system. Also, sponsors should talk to sites about their experience with these technologies to see if they can find similar solutions to reduce the need for training time.
Venn added that sponsors should not ask sites to duplicate work by requiring them to input the same data into multiple systems. Also, if sponsors can provide additional staff support, such as data entry or data management, site staff have more time to focus on patient care and research. However, additional staff members should be fully vetted to ensure that they are a good fit for the site’s company culture.
How Can Sponsors Alleviate Stress Levels?
The COVID-19 pandemic increased stress levels throughout the healthcare industry, and sites are still coping with the aftermath. During the pandemic, many healthcare employees left the industry and upcoming workers chose other fields. Staffing shortages are common, which increases staff workloads and stress.
“Providing patient support during clinical trials is key, but, increasingly, patients are asking site staff to help with technical issues, even late at night or overnight,” observed Hightower. “It’s hard to expect a coordinator to answer the phone at midnight because a patient’s e-diary is malfunctioning. And in this scenario, if the coordinator wasn’t well-trained on the e-diary in the first place, it just adds to their stress. It also adds to the costs if we’re compensating site staff for overtime.”
Hightower does not advise sponsors to provide third-party tech support for patients, however, because medical topics may arise during those conversations that need to be directed to site staff. Instead, he suggests that site management organizations take on the role of tech support to build closer relationships with patients and ensure that any adverse effects or treatment issues are communicated with the right person.
Venn added that building in an escalation process and providing backup plans for situations like these reduces stress. She points out that patients usually call the site first for problems, and that the patient-site relationship is too important to outsource. Investing in an escalation point to direct patients to the right person to answer their questions is a better solution. Venn also suggests modifying staff responsibilities depending on their interests and abilities. Some staff are more interested in patient care than technology, while others are very comfortable using new technology.
“You really have to think about hiring the right person for the right job and split up responsibilities based on what people enjoy in a job,” Venn explained. “That’s really going to help with retention in the long run. If we don’t consider staff’s needs, then our employment model is not sustainable.”