4 Ways Home Visits Support Successful Rare Disease Clinical Trials

Researchers, patients, pharma, and regulators face particular considerations and additional possible obstacles when designing and conducting rare disease trials. In 1983, the Orphan Drug Act was enacted, which has since been largely responsible for advancing the quality and quantity of rare disease research over the past 40 years. According to reports, the legislation has driven the approval of more than 600 therapies to treat serious diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 patients in the United States. In the first quarter of 2023, the FDA approved two notable rare disease treatments.

However, developing these therapies and treatments was not easy, as teams face several challenges when conducting clinical trials for rare diseases. To help overcome these hurdles, authors have outlined four key ways home visits can support successful clinical trials, including increased patient retention, improved data collection, better patient engagement, and enhanced patient safety. The author also provides examples of successful clinical trials using home visits and their positive impact on the study outcomes.