The Human Touch Of Decentralized Clinical Trials

By Krista Bradley, RN, MBA, Vice President and General Manager, Research Nursing and Phlebotomy Solutions, IQVIA Decentralized Trials

How mobile research teams have become the unsung heroes of the tech-enabled clinical trials movement

When we talk about decentralized clinical trials (DCTs), the conversation usually centers on the technology. Telehealth visits, wearable devices, and electronic patient diaries are transforming the world of clinical research, allowing investigators to capture data and monitor patients from afar.

DCTs and the technology that enables them were key to adapting to the pandemic. These tools made it possible keep critical clinical research afloat during lockdowns while rapidly initiating COVID-19 vaccine and treatment trials involving thousands of patients, which accelerated our ability to curb the global pandemic.

But DCTs require more than technology. There is an equally important human component driven by specialized study teams, including mobile research nurses and phlebotomists who engage patients where they live.