Helen Keller once wrote: “True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” Nothing could be truer for the millions of clinical research professionals steadfastly committed to helping advance treatments that transform lives.
These everyday unsung heroes occupy every corner of our industry – from small clinician-run sites to large academic medical centers; from global pharmaceutical companies to nimble biotech startups; from CROs to government agencies; from technology innovators to specialized data and service providers.
As the theme of this year’s ACRP Clinical Trials Day program celebrates, we are collectively powered by purpose; yet, we are often distracted from it as inefficiencies in how we collaborate bog us down in our day-to-day. According to Advarra’s 2024 Site-Sponsor-CRO Collaboration Survey, less than half of sites said their relationship with sponsors is collaborative, and just 31% said they had a collaborative relationship with CROs. While the survey revealed some alignment in what sites and sponsors and CROs value (i.e., better communication), it showed more disconnect between these groups. For example, sites yearn for more efficient processes, such as with feasibility assessments, while sponsors and CROs are focused on better outcomes, often in the form of faster enrollment.
How do we keep the aperture of our eyes wide open to see the big picture – our purpose as an industry – so that we make the best choices within our organizations? Can every department leader look within themselves and ask if they are innovating for the future rather than holding onto the familiar and timeworn processes of yesterday?
Delays of even a few days can matter immensely to the patients we aim to serve, so eliminating obstacles to startup and enrollment are critical paths. Here are practical ways that the industry can – and should – move forward towards our worthy purpose:
- Technology can be used to create better visibility between sites, sponsors, CROs, and patients to streamline collaboration on study startup, enrollment, training, supply location and inventory, and other operations.
- Machine learning and AI can be used to inform protocol design, automate workflows, and generate evidence with less burden on trial stakeholders.
- Attorneys and budget negotiators can operate more efficiently by compromising on issues that do not directly impact the trial or patients rather than deliberating on inconsequential issues.
- Clinicians can encourage administrators to bring more clinical research opportunities into their institutions, such as by marketing patient testimonials about their personal successful experience in trials so that others might consider volunteering their own participation.
- Pharmaceutical companies can make it common practice to thank and celebrate the clinical research participants who volunteer their time in order to help all patients.
As Advarra offers multiple services, from IRB and ethics review to technology and consulting for both sites and sponsors, our mission aims for a truly connected ecosystem via interoperability with all internal and external systems that are critical to sites’ daily workflows. These systems may include pharmacy systems, lab systems, electronic health records (EHR), general ledger systems, and more. Through open APIs and strategic partnerships with leading health technology firms (i.e., Epic), Advarra enables data and documents to seamlessly funnel into and out of foundational systems for a holistic view of clinical trials regardless of the technology vendor.
Integrated technology is an important part of the path to clinical research success, but the industry also needs to come together in a more human way, through community. Many organizations aim to create communities, but ACRP is leading the way. It is the only non-profit solely dedicated to representing, supporting, and advocating for clinical research professionals. ACRP truly powers us forward with more than 17,000 members across 70 countries, representation from across the entire clinical research ecosystem, the premier certification program in the industry, partnerships that bring training to sites and sponsors, and forward-thinking initiatives such as the Early Talent Training Program and Partners Advancing the Clinical Research Workforce.
Advarra’s Onsemble community is another unique forum that brings sites, sponsors, and CROs together to connect with peers, share insights, celebrate successes, and discuss best practices consistently all year long. This community of like-minded researchers also reminds us to stay focused on its worthy purpose. From April 28 to May 1, 2025 clinical researchers from site and institutions across the U.S. will gather in Orlando, FL at Advarra’s 2025 Onsemble Conference to experience the power of community.
On the cusp of ACRP’s 2025 Clinical Trials Day, we celebrate all those committed to moving novel therapies from scientific discovery to real-world medical breakthroughs that will benefit generations to come. From this worthy purpose, happiness will come.
This is a sponsored message.
Authored by Christine Senn, PhD, SVP of Site-Sponsor Innovation at Advarra
