Viewpoint: Decentralized Clinical Trials Have Arrived and Staying for Good

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic challenged every healthcare system, and the disruption of clinical trials was not the least of it. Many clinical trials halted or did not activate as sponsors and investigators grappled with the risk of infection if patients involved in clinical trials visited trial sites. The clinical studies that managed to continue and complete were those that immediately adopted decentralized clinical trials (DCT) technologies such as eSource. Patients were engaged from the comfort and convenience of their homes during the clinical trials with the use of DCT technologies. The flexibility in recruitment, engagement, and monitoring of clinical trial participants are among the reasons why DCTs are here to stay.