Push & Pull: The Duality of Modern Clinical Trials

Clinical trials and research have mostly taken place on-site, where participants must travel to a central location, often multiple times, creating logistical issues. With decentralized clinical trials (DCT) on-site visits can be minimized in favor of telemedicine visits, home monitoring via wearable devices, or having vitals checked at a more accessible location like a local pharmacy. With the lessons learned from the pandemic, and with regulatory agencies paving the way for innovation, clinical trials can include modern technology and use remote/virtual visits to expedite recruitment, data collection and analysis, and, ultimately, availability of treatment.