Research shows mobile devices have assumed the role of our primary digital tool. It’s now easier – and more enjoyable – to do virtually everything via native mobile apps: one can deposit a check, connect with friends, shop, and check the news faster with more security and flexibility than ever before. Recently, health and wellness apps have also surged in popularity; more and more people are becoming proactive and empowered in their healthcare through the convenience of their mobile devices. The clinical research industry, on the other hand, has moved at a glacial pace compared to the rest when it comes to utilizing the power of mobile operating systems.
Published in BMJ Innovations in late March, the first collaborative definition of patient centricity was formulated by a group of patients and caregivers: “Putting the patient first in an open and sustained engagement of the patient to respectfully and compassionately achieve the best experience and outcome for that person and their family.” In order to improve trial participation and retention, meaningful patient engagement is critical, and will be achievable through the utilization of mobile technology. Some big pharma companies have begun to integrate patient centricity initiatives into their operations, yet we are still a long way from industry-wide proliferation.
At Crucial Data Solutions, we believe the clinical research industry is currently at a pivotal point in terms of patient centricity. As a data collection and study management software provider, we aim to help make patient centricity a fundamental part of clinical trials in two ways:
1.) Provide research teams with an easily accessible ePRO platform on which they can design eCRFs, as well as automate the entire notification process and enforce patient survey completion through reminders
2.) Enable people around the world to be proactive in their own healthcare by giving them the power to search for, enroll, and participate in studies that would be the most suitable to them directly on their phone or tablet
With this in mind, we’ve developed TrialKit to be a publicly available mobile app that uses technology built directly into the devices we carry with us everywhere we go: touch, scan, motion, camera, notifications, and many more familiar gestures we use on our phones daily are now a part of data collection. The first of its kind on the market, this fully-featured app is as intuitive to use for researchers as it is for study participants. Request a live product demonstration today to see TrialKit’s mobile capabilities in action.
