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What Is A Virtual Approach?

The virtual/decentralized approach advocates the use of new technologies in an integrated, patient-centered approach, allowing patients to participate in clinical trials from the comfort of their homes.

Thanks to various digital tools, the different stages of a virtual clinical trial are conducted entirely or partially (hybrid approach) at a distance, while offering the participant the possibility of having direct contact in real time with the research team.

These tools actively engage participants and give them access to greater autonomy and flexibility, as well as allow for increased communication about the disease, the treatments being studied, and the stages of the clinical trial.

For research teams, these tools allow access to a larger number of participants, especially those dispersed throughout the country and suffering from rare diseases or those who cannot travel to a research site.

Virtual clinical trials medical diagram

Benefits Of A Virtual Clinical Trial Conducted With These Tools:

For Participants: For The Research Team:
Access to a greater number of studies
Access to a larger pool of potential participants
Decreased travel (and associated stress, costs and risks)
Access to more diverse populations (remote areas, rare diseases, etc.)
Participation according to participant’s schedule in a comfortable environment (at home)
Simplified monitoring and data collection
Facilitate family member/caregiver participation
Access to continuous data through wearable medical devices and digital sensors
Greater participant involvement and autonomy
Improved participant engagement and retention in the study
Additional sources of information and support in a variety of formats (videos, images, animations, etc.)
Reduced recruitment time and duration of trials
Reduced dependency on the site staff through the use of digital tools
Reduced clinical trial costs

Conventional, Virtual or Hybrid?

There are several approaches to conducting clinical trials.

hospital illustration

100% On Site

hybrid figure

100% Virtual/Decentralized

person at home icon set

The location of research procedures (e.g., recruitment, consent, follow-up visits, data collection) is based on the needs and capabilities of the study and the participants.