Making eSource Work: Beyond The Hype

Patient data drives clinical research, and the industry is transforming to improve the way data is obtained, which will ultimately allow patient-saving therapies and treatments to be brought to the market earlier to improve the lives of ourselves, our families and our friends.

One such transformation is the use of electronic source data, or eSource. However, eSource has not been adopted as quickly as expected based on the perceived and real benefits of moving toward electronic data collection. The benefits of higher quality data, less monitoring and better efficiencies are well understood and valued, but these have not yet inspired wide-scale adoption. For sites, it can mean operating differently from the norm, with potentially an initial layer of complexity before things become simpler.

The use of eSource in clinical trials has tangible patient and research benefits, both in terms of outcomes and convenience. As eSource evolves, the industry will need to innovate and adapt to new technologies, standards and processes as well as changing roles, particularly that of the data manager.