Data collection has always been central to clinical research, but the breadth of information available today is truly unprecedented. It is not just that we have more data, it’s also that the data we are collecting are more complex. Clinical trial protocols have dramatically expanded the quantity and type of data being studied. New technologies, applications, and devices provide new information that has to be managed seamlessly.
Data collection must also keep pace with the fast-evolving world of clinical trial design. An example is the hybrid trial, which integrates a traditional randomised controlled trial with pragmatic design aspects to collect real-world patient outcome data. The nuances and complexities in this type of trial demand new approaches to data collection. Similarly, virtual trials are becoming increasingly important in a world where patients often live two hours or more from a testing site, and fear of contagion or inability to travel may preclude face-to-face meetings. To anticipate change and optimise success, companies must adapt, innovating new and flexible data collection methods. We must ensure data certainty with systems that are relevant, reliable, and precise.
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