Stop Papering Over Consent Problems: Address Them Head-On With eConsent

By Vinita Navadgi, Sr. Director, Product & Strategy, Patient Consent, IQVIA Technologies

An electronic informed consent (eConsent) solution presents a multitude of advantages for patients, caregivers, and clinical trial personnel. Nevertheless, widespread adoption still faces several obstacles. Concerns regarding the initial time investment, IT infrastructure development and implementation, staff adaptation and skill enhancement, as well as the platform's associated costs, persist among many professionals in clinical operations.

These concerns are legitimate, but IQVIA's extensive decades-long experience demonstrates that the gains in process efficiency, improved compliance, decreased reliance on paper documentation, and enhanced patient engagement and retention offer a clear return on sponsors' investments. The primary advantage lies in the operational efficiencies realized through eConsent, including:

1. Augmented randomization rates
2. Mitigation of protocol deviations
3. Reduction in monitoring duration

This article delves into the data substantiating these experiences to illustrate their positive impact on the outcomes of clinical trials.