conventional clinical trials

Conventional Clinical Trials vs. Virtual Trials

Conventional Clinical Trials

Until the previous decade, all clinical studies were conducted in person. Volunteers had to go to a study site, which may be near their home or across the nation. The inherent flaws of these particular studies are that they;  

  • Are more expensive, slower, and inefficient.  
  • Create time and cost impediments for patients to participate.  
  • Reduce participation and enrollment times.  
  • Assist in the lack of variety among clinical trial participants.  

Many patients who would otherwise be interested in participating are unable to take time off work or lack the financial resources or ability to travel.  

Virtual clinical trials  

Mobile devices, apps, remote monitoring equipment, and online social interaction platforms are all used to perform virtual clinical trials or studies. It lowers some of the barriers to participation by allowing study volunteers to communicate with researchers and healthcare experts via telemedicine, having nurses visit patients in their homes, and letting patients travel to local labs rather than a study site. These trials, also known as decentralized clinical trials, have the following advantages:   

  • They provide better convenience and a more inclusive study design for participants, especially those with mobility issues, who reside in rural areas far from study locations or face other obstacles to participating.  
  • Increasing the number of people who can enroll in studies and stay for the course of the study.  
  • The ability to track participants’ health throughout time rather than just on-site provides a more accurate picture of their health.  
  • Making the process of developing and approving novel treatments more efficient.  
  • Allowing for a more patient-centered clinical trial design.  

This virtual study can have several risks and drawbacks, including:  

  • Concerns about the sharing of patient health information over the internet.  
  • Problems with the apps or platforms required to participate in the study.  
  • A lack of face-to-face communication with healthcare professionals.  

It’s fantastic to learn that technological advancements have improved clinical trials in Sub-Saharan Africa by allowing for the utilization of virtual clinical trials. Traditional clinical trials, on the other hand, cannot be completely eliminated due to their own benefits and the slow expansion of virtual clinical trials due to other vices that impede consistent progress. Hybrid clinical research is becoming more popular in Africa. Some research tasks are conducted remotely using mobile phones, wearables, or other devices in hybrid clinical trials, while others are conducted in person at traditional study locations. Hybrid trials provide the advantage of allowing participants to participate in some research activities remotely while still having the opportunity to contact study staff in person.  

At Xcene Research, we think that therapeutic advancement is impossible without innovation. That is why we are always looking for new methods to revolutionize the industries wherein we engage.  

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