Dan Schell articles

  1. Tekton's CEO On The Growing Power Of Site Networks 2/27/2026

    Site networks continue to gain momentum as organizations emphasize operational consistency, shared infrastructure, and scale. Tekton Research CEO Corey Collins discusses how collaboration, sponsor dialogue, and real-world pressures like recruitment challenges and study delays are shaping the model — while it remains too early to know whether network-scale approaches will deliver meaningful efficiencies for sponsors.

  2. Say It Loud: Clinical Research Needs New Voices 2/26/2026

    At SCOPE, I caught up with Denali Rose, co-host of the Note to File podcast, to talk about why clinical research still struggles to communicate — and why that has to change. She’s pushing for more honest conversations and new voices across sponsors, sites, and vendors, and while progress is slow, she sees signs the silos are finally starting to crack.

  3. Site-Centric First, Patient-Centric Always 2/25/2026

    At the 2026 SCOPE Summit, Boehringer Ingelheim’s Wouter Daniels argued that true patient centricity begins with site centricity. Daniels shared how Boehringer’s engagement efforts have accelerated studies by months and saved millions — proof that patient focus delivers measurable business and operational value.

  4. Clinical Trials Need Fewer Barriers And More Humans 2/24/2026

    At the SCOPE Summit, Tina Karunaratne and Elizabeth Tabor discussed the gaps that still limit clinical trial access — from patient navigation and education to the need for real human support alongside AI tools. They also highlighted the importance of networking, professional visibility, and moving beyond conference talking points to actionable solutions that connect both patients and the people who make research possible.

  5. Forget More Clinical Tech, We Need More Adoption 2/23/2026

    At SCOPE Summit, Craig Lipset shared a blunt assessment of clinical trial innovation: the tools exist, regulators are engaged, and digital approaches offer clear quality advantages — yet adoption remains the industry’s biggest hurdle. From evolving FDA inspection expectations to the normalization (and lingering misconceptions) of decentralized trials, Lipset argues progress will depend less on new technology and more on scaling what already works.

  6. Joe Dustin: Sites Are Driving Clinical Tech Evolution 2/20/2026

    At SCOPE Summit 2026, Joe Dustin shared why clinical trial sites are emerging as the next drivers of innovation. As sites digitize operations and push back against the burden of sponsor-mandated systems, new models like “bring your own technology” and seamless digital data flow aim to reduce duplication, speed startup, and improve both coordinator and patient experiences.

  7. AI Trial Matching Comes Of Age At City Of Hope 2/19/2026

    City of Hope has embedded an internally trained AI platform into oncology care and research workflows, helping clinicians summarize complex patient histories and match patients to clinical trials in real time. By reducing manual review and accelerating feasibility assessments across its national network, the system is improving trial access, easing clinician workload, and shifting more time back to patient care.

  8. SCOPE Takeaways On Inclusion And Real Patient-Centricity 2/13/2026

    At SCOPE 2026, two panels made the same point from different angles: the industry understands the barriers to broader recruitment. The real challenge is execution. From embedding inclusion into protocol governance to rethinking recruitability and retention, the message was clear — access will only accelerate innovation if inclusion is built into the system from day one.

  9. My SCOPE Groundhog Day Experience 2/12/2026

    From feasibility inefficiencies to overdesigned trials and overloaded investigative sites, the conversations at SCOPE were thoughtful and candid. The problem isn’t ignorance. It’s execution. Until simplification shows up in shorter timelines, leaner protocols, and measurable relief for sites, we may continue gathering each year to discuss the same issues — with the same data.

  10. Informed Consent Isn't Broken — But It's Barely Working 2/9/2026

    Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf has been blunt about what’s wrong with informed consent in clinical trials. In this article, we offer a high-level look at his three-part Substack series, exploring how consent became more about legal protection than patient understanding — and what needs to change.