Closing the Gap in Clinical Trial Communication

Clinical trial success is dependent on effective communication between study teams and research personnel at every stage of the trial. Yet, we’ve found that while it is easy to talk about effective communication as a concept, in practice it is still elusive in the clinical trial industry.

We regularly speak with sponsors who have struggled to identify an approach to site communications which truly helps site personnel in that it ensures they get the right information at the most strategic time. We know that traditional approaches such as bulk newsletters and other generic broadcast messages don’t really cut through the noise for busy research staff.

On the other side, research staff tell us that they feel “blocked” and frustrated when it takes several hours or even days to get answers to study questions from the experts.

Fortunately, there is a better, simpler way of connecting investigators and site staff with study instruction in the protocol as well as expert guidance – whenever they need it.

Equally, study teams can gain critical insight into both trial performance and site engagement by understanding what sites are interacting with the protocol and the types of questions asked by research personnel.

Better Communication, Better Outcomes

During the webinar, we outlined four key variables in clinical trial success – time, cost, quality and visibility. And she talked about the impact of Teckro to positively influence all four variables. Here’s a quick look.

Time

We all know that time is of the essence during trials. With Teckro, sponsors and sites can expect faster answers to protocol questions and quicker decisions to determine eligibility. This is crucial when patients are sitting in the office and there’s limited time for physicians to spend with them.

As well as this, Teckro ensures faster sponsor access to key trial information. This is infinitely preferable than it being kept in binders on dusty shelves far from those who need access to it most.

Cost

Clinical trials can be expensive. With Teckro, there are fewer protocol deviations and quality issues, meaning more efficiency and lower costs. Having seamless communication reduces the probability of these incidents occurring as stakeholders get access to the right answers straight away.

Recruitment is also speeded up, saving both time and money.

Quality

Proactive compliance ensures trials are de-risked in real time as sponsors have a secured, dedicated channel with Teckro to provide relevant, targeted guidance and reminders to help their sites.

Additionally, sites have a direct line to study and medical experts to get real-time guidance or clarification when they are with a patient.

Visibility

Today, study teams lack visibility into how often (if ever) research personnel access their protocol or other study information. With Teckro, sponsors can see who is interacting with their protocol and when.

They can also see who is opening and reading study alerts and gain immediate feedback to assess study feasibility and sentiment.

Greater Confidence Straight from the Source

Information straight from the experts has the highest fidelity and bears little risk of anything being lost in translation. Study experts “on standby” are critical given the global nature of clinical trials and there is also the fact that patient queries are hard to manage to a set time.

The dynamic communication requirement of site staff is why we built Teckro Connect. During the webinar, I gave an example of a scenario where a principal investigator uses Teckro Search to get protocol instruction and then Teckro Connect to get real-time clarification with study experts related to a specific participant concern.

Watch how Teckro Connect helps investigators get the answers they need in record time.

With Teckro in their pockets, research staff can leave the dusty binders on the shelf and have the confidence to make the right decisions in compliance with the protocol. And with direct access to study and medical experts, sites can receive real-time answers to any queries, even while they are with a patient. Digitizing communication approaches help teams to speed up their decision-making and improve outcomes.