For too long, research teams have been stuck with poorly designed technology that is difficult to use and requires significant manual data transcription. For sponsors of clinical trials, this manual process results in strained site relationships, excessive costs and delayed time to market.
Savvy sponsors are turning to innovative solutions that deliver EHR to EDC integration to automate data capture and improve site relationships.
Here’s how:
EHR to EDC integration lowers the burden for sites to participate in research, potentially increasing their enthusiasm to join studies and recruit patients. Historically, various barriers prevented EHR integration, but three key developments paved the way for greater adoption:
- Interoperability. Around the globe, system integration has become an industry imperative. Covid-19 accelerated this imperative and stakeholders are moving rapidly toward interoperability as a gold standard.
- Maturity of FHIR standards. The private sector’s focus on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) has unlocked new integration possibilities. With the more recent function, known as SMART on FHIR apps, implementation can happen in days, not months.
- Decentralization. The need to do more work remotely, with fewer onsite staff, appears to be here to stay. Reducing manual data entry makes it possible for site personnel to work more productively in remote settings. Additionally, mobile participation expands the pool of potential study participants and makes ongoing participation more attractive and modern.
Automated data acquisition from electronic health records is now practical for use in clinical trials, promising benefits to both sponsors and sites. Digital first will become the new norm in clinical research as it has in many other aspects of our lives. Capitalizing on the ability to connect the EHR to the EDC helps sponsors:
- Accelerate decision making and time to market
- Obtain finalized data faster
- See potential safety signals sooner
- Cut down on costly cycle of SDV
To learn how to fast-track your next clinical trial with automated source data capture, download our latest playbook.
