Data Variety and Standardization Remain Top Challenges for Biopharma Operations, New Survey Finds

Annual industry report by eClinical Solutions uncovers clinical data pain points and priorities for global life science leaders

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--eClinical Solutions, a global provider of digital clinical software and biometrics services, today announced the results from its 2023 Industry Outlook, an inaugural annual report. Based on research with 60 biopharmaceutical clinical operations and biometrics professionals, the report reveals exclusive insights on the most pressing trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the fast-moving clinical data landscape.

Top-line highlights include:

• 64% of respondents report that their organizations are incorporating six or more external data sources into their clinical trials.
• Harnessing automation throughout the clinical data lifecycle is currently the top industry focus for more than one-third (36%) of respondents.
• According to respondents, speed (30%) and quality (30%) remain the largest pain points for Study Build and Electronic Data Capture (EDC) implementation.
• Half of respondents report either the variety of data types (26%) or standardization (24%) as their top challenge with external data.

Commenting on the findings, Katrina Rice, chief delivery officer, biometrics services at eClinical Solutions said, “Our 2023 Industry Outlook confirms that leaders are embracing the potential of decentralization, automation, and other tech-enabled approaches to transform clinical research while navigating the new challenges of increased trial complexity.”

The report also confirms that data standardization, accessing the right expertise through vendor collaborations, and strategies to accelerate cycle times are major concerns for clinical leaders heading into 2023.

Rice added, “It is encouraging that the most important themes highlighted by our respondents including cycle time reduction, study start-up efficiency and nurturing people — are all areas of core focus for us at eClinical Solutions. As we look ahead in 2023, we will focus on unlocking even greater value for our customers through our unified combination of innovative clinical data technology and premier biometrics services.”

Grant Williamson, senior director, clinical programming at eClinical Solutions said, “The industry is still grappling with a host of longstanding challenges. Leaders report expertise and retention issues when working with outsourced providers, and, despite advances in technology, speed and quality remain concerns in managing study builds that support current trial complexity.”

To address these specific EDC and study start-up challenges, eClinical Solutions offers a dedicated study build service to efficiently streamline Medidata Clinical Data Cloud database set up across multiple trials. Applying unparalleled knowledge of the Medidata platform, the eClinical Solutions team can achieve data standardization and study setup timeline savings of up to 60% for customers.

Williamson added, “We’ve seen increased demand from clients requiring robust EDC implementations that support complex designs like basket trials and expected protocol changes after startup. In the face of increasing trial complexity, timeline pressure, and talent scarcity, sponsors appreciate having access to eClinical Solutions’ highly qualified data acquisition professionals with the skills to design and execute efficient study builds across therapeutic areas and phases of development.”

To receive a copy of the eClinical Solutions’ 2023 Industry Outlook report, click here: https://www.eclinicalsol.com/ebooks/clinical-data-trends-challenges-and-opportunities/.

For more information on the eClinical Solutions Study Build FSP, click here: https://www.eclinicalsol.com/services/study-build-functional-service-provider-fsp/.

About eClinical Solutions

eClinical Solutions helps life sciences organizations around the world accelerate their digital clinical initiatives with modern data infrastructure and analytics. Our intelligent clinical data cloud and biometrics services give our clients real-time, self-service access to all their data from one centralized location; plus advanced analytics that help them make smarter, faster business decisions. Find out more at eclinicalsol.com.