Streamlining Clinical Trials: Balancing Cost, Speed, and Quality with Technology

An interview with one of our speakers at the 18th Annual Optimising Clinical Trials Summit: Site Selection, Feasibility and Patient Recruitment, 16 - 17 October 2024, Mercure Hotel MOA Berlin.

What are the advantages of using automation in clinical trial design and execution?

1. What role does technology play in enhancing customer-centricity and streamlining clinical trial processes?

If the goal is to enhance customer centricity and improve clinical trial processes in favour of sites and patients, then technology plays a crucial role in providing a reliable foundation. Supporting patients and sites through decentralised clinical trials, remote data collection, and remote monitoring depends on tools such as digital platforms & mobile apps. Furthermore, by incorporating AI, machine learning and automation, we can facilitate even better patient- and site-centric approaches by improving trial design, patient recruitment and data analysis, ultimately leading to more efficient and effective clinical trials.

2. How do you foster effective collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to drive clinical trial success?

While technology might lie the foundation for more efficient clinical trial processes, good collaboration with internal and external stakeholders is essentially the driving force to achieve clinical trial success. Internally, fostering collaboration among cross-functional teams, such as clinical operations, regulatory affairs, data sciences and medical affairs, is crucial for aligning goals and ensuring a smooth execution of trials. Externally, building strong partnerships with clinical research organisations (CROs), investigators, and site staff is important for efficient patient recruitment, site management, and data collection. It is the responsibility of sponsors to utilise channels that ultimately support external stakeholders and foster transparent engagement & communication.

3. How do you balance the need to reduce costs and accelerate timelines without compromising the quality of clinical trials?

This is definitely not an easy feat, but high costs and lengthy timelines are hurdles and should not be accepted as the standard. By combining technological efforts and effective collaboration between stakeholders, as mentioned above, the goal is to maintain the quality of clinical trials — or even enhance it. Reduced costs and accelerated timelines do not mean that regulatory standards should be compromised, and through continuous process improvement, risk-based monitoring, and proactive quality management, a balance should be maintained.

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Short speaker BIO:

Bernhard Glombitza, PhD is a senior global leader in the healthcare industry with >25 years leadership experience with focus on Project Management and Clinical Operations roles. Motivated by challenges and equipped with a high learning agility to embrace new roles. My source of passion is cooperating with other people, inspiring and challenging them, creating an environment of psychological safety to dare to go outside their comfort zone to find their full potential.