Screening of patients in clinical trials is a time consuming task and a big burden to study sites. Manual screening processes are inefficient and lack the transparency required to effectively manage the trial. Complexity of patient screening varies by protocol, but according to research, screening costs at the site average $232 per patient. In many trials, it may take tens of interested patients to find a single patient that can be enrolled into the study. This adds up to a significant cost to the trial, not to mention the burden on the site staff and the patients. Time lost screening patients could be better spent in other research activities.
With Clinpal we have introduced a pre-screening tool that minimizes the time required at the site to screen patients. The pre-screening not only screens potential candidates for their inclusion / exclusion criteria, but also delivers key (pre-approved) study information in a patient-friendly format. The pre-screening process filters out unqualified self assessed patients and only refers pre-qualified candidates for further screening at the site.
Compared with manual screening process, online pre-screening can be more efficient and provide a much more engaging user experience for the sites as well as patients. Sponsors and CROs will have real-time visibility of the process and can monitor the conversion ratios of interested candidates vs. pre-qualified vs. patients enrolled. Real-time performance metrics will highlight the inclusion criteria that are most restrictive at a country and site level. This data is available for further feasibility planning.
Clinpal screening was not designed just for the patients. With its multi-role approach, it is suitable for use by Patient Registration call centers, General Practitioners and Site personnel. The information provided is designed to be appropriate to the role participating – patients will not be asked pre-screening questions that they are not in a position to answer themselves. At the site – the full set of screening questions – some potentially pre-filled earlier – are available for completion.
The Clinpal approach is also more efficient than using call centers alone to centralize the screening process. Clinpal offers an online environment for screening, with a high degree of automation. While many things are automated and users have access to real-time, context-sensitive online help, the system also includes an efficient direct communication mechanisms that allows the study sites / patient screening experts to communicate with the candidates and ask further questions or clarifications without requiring the patients to travel to the study site. In some studies, the complete screening process can be completed remotely.
Want to know more? Contact the Clinpal team for more information.