News By: Lisa Townsend

On Saturday, April 29, ACRP 2023 attendees were inspired by a panel of women in the clinical research profession who talked about the progress that is being made for their gender in the field, and in the afternoon were further inspired by a healthcare practitioner who recounted how disruptive scientific progress made possible by clinical research has saved her life thus far from a rare and incurable condition.

While many aspects of the clinical trial process have become more streamlined, the patient identification process still largely relies on inefficient practices. Keyword searches, manual reviews, outdated reports, and other time-consuming and expensive methods are commonly used to find eligible candidates for enrollment.

Connected technology continues to advance, with the market for the internet of things in healthcare valued at $100.41 billion in 2022 and projected to reach $495.47 billion by 2030. In the clinical trials arena, these technologies can ease information sharing, simplify study conduct, and ultimately improve patient experiences.

For patients and physicians alike, clinical research provides hope that ongoing innovation will offer new options to treat and even cure challenging illnesses. Indeed, most of modern medicine revolves around learnings from disruptive, successful clinical trials that investigated the safety and efficacy of promising therapeutic options.

Social justice models can contribute to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in clinical trials and across companies, helping to ensure a fair and equitable division of resources, access and opportunities.