In addition to simply data capture, clinical trial technologies such as electronic data capture (EDC) platforms are designed to facilitate different tasks and processes in clinical research. The ease of adoption and use of these technologies by clinical trial site personnel can directly impact the overall efficiency, and ultimately, success of a clinical trial.
To that end, it’s important for eClinical companies to regularly assess the site team’s satisfaction and overall experience using their technologies, and, if appropriate, recalibrate or improve their solutions as appropriate. The assessment of site user experience should include the general ease of use, the user interface, degree of automation, and the type and level of support included with the software. In geographically dispersed sites, the technology support team frequently provides a lifeline to site staff who may need help completing a specific task or understanding how the tools work.
Investigators, research coordinators, site monitors, data managers, and statisticians all have different requirements for using clinical trial technologies. And each has different perspectives on how well the tool helps them to do their jobs. Technology providers must take all these requirements and views into consideration when designing their tools and creating the user experience.
The Mednet team is committed to developing new tools and refining its solutions to create an optimal user experience. As part of our commitment, we regularly gather feedback from users of our system as a means of continuous quality improvement to optimize user satisfaction at clinical trial sites worldwide.
Adopting New Technologies
Adoption of any new technology can be initially cumbersome and challenging. For clinical research sponsors, not only do they need to adopt a new technology, but they need to roll it out to dozens or hundreds of clinical trial sites. It’s critical this process is as easy and user friendly as possible to avoid frustration and costly delays. When asking sites to use a new technology, sponsors need to feel confident there will not be hiccups. In a recent Mednet survey of users at clinical sites, 83% of respondents said iMednet was easy to learn how to use. Most (87%) also said it was easy to use on a daily basis. These are key metrics we monitor regularly, both with quantitative data and qualitative feedback from our customers. We use these insights to inform our development plan to ensure we are not only delivering a solution that addresses the needs of our partners and direct customers, but also clinical trial sites and users.
Streamlining Processes and Increasing Efficiency
A key value proposition of clinical trial technologies is to streamline processes and increase the efficiency of tasks for various roles across the clinical research team. More than three quarters (77%) of site user survey respondents reported they agree or strongly agree with the statement, “iMednet helps me complete my work quickly and efficiently.”
The iMednet features respondents ranked highest were those that ensure data integrity and those that automate tedious and error-prone tasks. The patient record page was the most highly regarded aspect of the tool, followed closely by real-time edit checks. These features are some of the most-used components of iMednet. They are specifically designed to simplify daily tasks and minimize the time required for the site team to do their jobs. They also reduce the number of errors and reduce the time needed to correct the mistakes. This is not a trivial task. Most site personnel are using multiple tools provided by different vendors. Research teams need tools that are both easy-to-learn and easy-to-use and help streamline numerous clinical trials tasks and processes.
Site users also gave high scores to real-time reporting, record status icons that provide visual action indicators, and the “to do lists” that help users track their work. These feature sets automate individual tasks while providing a broader view of the study status and the more extensive trial process. This context helps in planning and prioritizing activities throughout the trial.
Technology has the power to streamline processes exponentially, making everyone’s jobs easier. However, to do so, it must be easy to adopt and easy to use on a day-to-day basis. The Mednet team continues to develop new and innovative ways to make iMednet as easy to use as possible. We leverage our deep understanding of clinical trial tasks, processes, and roles, along with feedback from customers and partners.
The customer service and support function is another critical factor in evaluating site satisfaction. Ideally, hopefully technology is seamless and easy-to-use, requiring little, if any, assistance. However, in the increasingly complex world of clinical trials, with sensitive data, aggressive deadlines and multiple trial sites and users, it is imperative users have access to effective and efficient customer support when they need it. Our next blog will explore how Mednet regularly monitors and measures its customer support and service function for continuous quality improvement.
Whether Mednet users work in clinical trials sites, sponsor offices, or CRO organizations, the Mednet platform is uniquely designed to be easy-to-use while supporting a wide range of clinical research. For more information about the platform or our approach to customer and site support, contact us.