Primary Benefits of Utilizing Technology for Pre-screening for Clinical Trials

Pre-screening, whether through online surveys or telephone interviews, is a critical stage of the clinical trial recruitment process.

FREMONT, CA: With COVID-19 encouraging more people to use technology to communicate with loved ones and approximately 4.57 billion people now online, digital pre-screening of candidates has never been easier. The potential benefits of more sites implementing these techniques are substantial. Below are the primary benefits of utilizing technology for pre-screening:

Reduce staffing costs

It's straightforward: when patients are screened remotely, there is no reason for additional staff to assist with data collection. Without the need to hire other employees for recruitment, sites can streamline operations and save money.

Instantly organize, access, and update data

Electronically collected data can be stored and organized in a matter of seconds. Additionally, this information can be managed using far more precise criteria than data collected manually. Once information is electronically stored and organized, it is instantly accessible. Instantly recall and view specific data. This eliminates time and effort spent sorting through filing cabinets and expedites the process of determining participant eligibility. The electronically stored information can also be easily edited or updated. Pre-screening does not have to be completed in one sitting if the patient cannot; electronic forms can be saved and then met or updated later.

Streamlined workflow

If a patient meets the trial's eligibility requirements, a 'clinical trial management system' enables pre-screening data to be uploaded into the clinical trial's enrollment metrics. This eliminates the need for additional data collection, as electronic forms are easily amendable. Patient recruitment dashboards (for example, Citrus) make it simple for sites to track all the patients in their system and their status concerning a specific study.

The beauty of a patient recruitment dashboard is that it serves as both the primary method of recruiting patients for clinical trials and an efficient means of accessing and tracking multiple external sources of recruitment. Patient recruitment dashboards enable sites to recruit patients from various primary locations and sources, ensuring that patients are educated about clinical trials and meet the study's eligibility criteria.

Additional storage

Transitioning from manual to electronic pre-screening also saves space. Electronic data requires almost no storage space, whereas paper documentation must be stored on-site and, if necessary, for extended periods. With a gigabyte of data equal to approximately 75,000 sheets of paper, the average laptop's internal memory is more than sufficient to meet the requirements of any clinical trial.

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