Technology in Clinical Trials #9 – End-of-year Wrap-up

With 2024 nearing end, I would like to thank all my acquaintances and contacts for subscribing to Technology in Clinical Trials! Since I started posting monthly newsletters in March 2024, the number of subscribers has grown to over 500. Witnessing such positive growth reassures me of the significance of this newsletter. Moreover, with my recent promotion to Technology Consultant (in the clinical field) at 精鼎医药 makes writing these newsletters even more meaningful.

In the final issue of 2024, I summarize the topics discussed this year and delve slightly deeper into the two areas that garnered the most attention from my readers - AI prompting and change management.

2024 at a Glance

We started this series by discussing the key focus areas of my newsletters:

• Newsletter #1 - What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? What are the differences between Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL)? How about Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Large Language Modeling (LLM)? How do all of these converge to form ChatGPT ?

• Newsletter #2 – What is Telemedicine? What are Digital Solutions? How can innovative approaches be applied to boost Patient Engagement and reduce costs of clinical trials?

We then moved on to more abstract topics such as evaluating the economic impact of AI, facilitating adaptation of new technologies among users, and exploring use cases of GenAI in the clinical industry:

• Newsletter #3 – The economic potential of GenAI in the clinical research industry, such as facilitation of drug discovery, personalization of medicine, and streamlined production of regulatory content.
• Newsletter #4 – Adapting strategies for successful change management, including managing individual expectations and fostering teamwork.

• Newsletter #5 – Utilizing GenAI to enhance efficiency of clinical studies by assisting the selection of appropriate indications (specific diseases or conditions for which a study intervention is being tested), co-piloting clinical trials, and generating first draft clinical study reports.

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The last few newsletters have had more of a technical focus:

• Newsletter #6 – The basics of prompting and tips on prompt optimization.
• Newsletter #7 – What are microchips? What kind of microchips are there? How are microchips fueling the AI revolution?
• Newsletter #8 – Considerations for vendor selection including criteria for picking AI vendors.

Next year, I will continue to explore a variety of topics related to innovative technologies in clinical research. As always, I welcome suggestions and ideas from you!

?? Personal Insights on Change Management

[Opinion Piece] In newsletter #4, we took a closer look at various change management strategies and how to best optimize them based on the needs of your organization. As mentioned in that issue of the newsletter, I have been working with the implementation of?Structured Content Authoring (SCA)?at Parexel for nearly 2.5 years now. The role has not only given me the opportunity to upgrade my technical skills, but I have also accumulated first-hand insights on how individuals react to new technology and how to best guide less tech-savvy colleagues.

First of all, it is important to identify peers who are more technically adept and those who are not. The ones who are quicker at picking up new technologies, can further facilitate implementation of new solutions within the organization. It pays off in the long run to provide them with adequate training or assignments up-front and provide timely answers to any technical questions they may have. Later down the line, these individuals can spearhead the adaptation of new solutions and technologies by acting as system subject matter experts (SMEs) and assisting the less tech savvy peers.

As for the ones who need more handholding, it is crucial to dispel any doubts about the new solution or system as soon as they arise. Although technical glitches are inevitable, different individuals may have varying reactions to such inconveniences. By acknowledging issues faced by system users, you are in a better position to build rapport with your peers. It might be difficult to resolve an issue instantaneously. However, by making sure your colleagues’ voices are heard, you will be in a better position to get to the bottom of technical errors. First of all, by having an open channel of communication, you ensure that you receive all the necessary details for tackling the encountered issue. Moreover, by giving off a “I hear you and I will find a solution” vibe, you will consequently reduce negative perceptions of the new solution or system.

?? Supercharging Your Brainstorming Sessions

[Blog Post] In newsletter #6, we explored the basics of prompting such providing your AI assistant with precise instructions, including contextual details such as patient populations, and refining prompts as needed. Frequently, AI assistants are regarded as “writing or content generating” aides.

However, as pointed out by Michelle Guillemard from Health Writer Hub, AI can also be employed to boost your brainstorming sessions. Asking the AI to generate a list of potential ideas and key topics can help you to add a red thread to your writing or simplify technical jargon. More specifically, as pointed out by Michelle Guillemard, AI assistants can boost your brainstorming sessions by:

• Analyzing trends – by asking the AI to scrutinize FAQs and patient/user responses to identify key concerns or emerging trends.
• Creating personas – by having the AI develop indication-specific patient personas based on demographic and health behavior data. Eg, you could ask the AI to fabricate a group of patients with cardiovascular diseases and describe what health challenges they are facing as well as what daily habits they have.
• Enhancing visual planning – AI tools can suggest ideas for graphics or infographics that can make your content, such as written text or presentations slides, more engaging. Even if the AI assistant does not have the capabilities to generate images, you can use the ideas it produces to create an infographic on your own or through another image-generating AI.
• Simulating reader feedback – AI can simulate queries or reactions your audience might potentially have, helping you better prepare or address potential concerns up front. This is especially useful if you’re going to deliver a presentation and anticipate a flurry of questions from the audience.
• Exploring cultural and emotional nuances – last but not least, your AI assistant can help you identify cultural or emotional factors affecting patients attitudes towards disease management or to understand how they may perceive your content. Eg, recommending daily intake of meat-based supplements to a population that consumes a mostly vegetarian-based diet could be a gaffe which your AI may help you identify in advance.

?? It’s This Time of the Year ??

With the end of the year around the corner, I would like to once again thank all of my subscribers and readers. I hope you enjoyed all the newsletters this year including this one. Receiving positive feedback from you truly boosts my motivation to continue crafting these newsletters.

With Christmas approaching and Lunar New Year coming thereafter, I will take a minor break from newsletter writing in the next month and will resurface again in February 2025. I wish everyone a happy holiday season and Happy 2025. And to those celebrating – Merry Christmas and Happy Lunar New Year!

? Disclosure statement ?

Lastly, I would like to point out that I am NOT associated with and am NOT sponsored by any of the organizations I refer to in this edition of the newsletter.