Virtual clinical trials could revolutionize the way new drugs are developed.
Virtual Clinical Trials (VCTs), also called remote or decentralized trials, are a relatively new and yet underutilized method of conducting clinical research taking full advantage of technologies such as apps, electronic monitoring devices, and online social engagement platforms. The choice to conduct it has many advantages even though trial sites remain an important and essential component of clinical trials. The benefits of virtual trial include better cost efficiencies, patient engagement, improved data capture and empowered research teams.
Virtual clinical trials can’t eliminate all of the costs and time involved in the trials, but they can certainly lessen the figures. Virtual clinical trials offer one solution to this travel problem by allowing the trial process to be completed at home. Every step, from recruiting to screening to data collection, is performed remotely, thanks to the internet. Staff may still have to make occasional home visits for certain types of health measurements, but as wearable devices become increasingly sophisticated, there is less and less reliance on in-person data collection
This means more frequent measurements, more convenience for patients, and the ability to collect some types of data that aren’t even possible in the clinic, such as the number of steps taken each day, or glucose levels after every meal for diabetics. Not only does this reduce travel burden for the participants, but it also means reduced cost for trials that no longer need to support frequent visits to the clinic.
Following a £500,000 Royal Academy of Engineering research funding award, Dr Himanshu Kaul, will expand research with his ‘virtual asthma patient’ to participate in virtual clinical trials, which could help make more accurate and timely predictions around which new drugs are successful and can offer benefits to patients.
