eConsent in Clinical Research: Bridging the Gap Between Promise and Reality
eConsent has the potential to transform clinical trials—but implementation often falls short in practice.
Date: July 22, 2026
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET
Drawing on two multi-stakeholder working group publications, this session examines how deployment models, system fragmentation, and lack of interoperability impact site operations. This live webinar introduces a practical framework for measuring eConsent success beyond participant experience. You’ll gain actionable insights to reduce operational burden, improve compliance, and evaluate eConsent effectiveness in real-world settings.
Speakers:
Candida Barlow, PhD, RN, CNRN
Director of Clinical Research
Oklahoma State University
Dr. Candida Barlow is a board-certified Clinical Research Nurse and seasoned investigator with over 20 years of nursing experience. She currently serves as Director of Clinical Research at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa, where she leads strategic initiatives in regulatory compliance, team management, and informatics-driven research operations. Dr. Barlow pioneered the Nursing Research Conduct Knowledge Model, reflecting her deep commitment to elevating research practice standards. Her current focus includes advancing electronic regulatory systems, automating compliance workflows, and guiding global clinical research initiatives through her work as an independent consultant. Dr. Barlow’s leadership is marked by transformative implementations of computerized clinical research systems and rigorous adherence to state and federal regulations. Her work continues to shape the future of clinical trial operations through innovation, mentorship, and advocacy for high-integrity research environments.
Istvan Fekete
Principal
Attain Partners
Istvan Fekete is a Principal at Attain Partners. He is a research administration professional with almost 15 years of experience from working directly in higher education, consulting for higher education clients, and providing managed services to higher education clients. Additional experience working with medical centers, hospitals, non-profit consortiums, and the pharma industry on clinical research operations. Nationally known subject matter expert in research contract negotiations. At the University of Chicago, Istvan collaborated with the Office of Clinical Research, Clinical Trials Financial Group, and operations teams to create the institution’s first set of policies for investigator-initiated clinical trials. This work ensured that contractual obligations aligned with trial conduct and were feasible for implementation. Istvan has worked with large institutions to redesign business processes and staffing structures, focusing on optimizing rapid trial activation, minimizing financial risk, and maximizing revenue collection. Additionally, Istvan partnered with an R1 institution to pilot artificial intelligence tools in the research contracting space, contributing to the development of an AI solution for Medicare coverage analysis and testing several AI solutions available on the market. Istvan also developed and launched a comprehensive research administration training program for an R1 institution, delivering training on negotiation techniques, workload management, conflict resolution, and tactical strategies to staff in both higher education and healthcare settings. Their contributions extended to the creation of the Secure Data Enclave at the University of Chicago, a centralized data security platform that reduced redundant data security expenditures across departments.
In addition to these achievements, Istvan served as a subject matter expert on a team that designed next-generation research administration software for a major consulting firm, further showcasing their ability to innovate and drive efficiency in research operations.
Andrea Bastek (Moderator)
VP, Market Strategy
Florence Healthcare
Andrea came to Florence with 10 years of clinical trial experience and 15 total years in the cardiac medical device industry. She is passionate about using technology and collaboration to ensure clinical trial success. In her spare time she enjoys traveling and spending time with her daughters. She holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Georgia Tech, MS and BS in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane University.
Upon completion of this continuing education program, participants should be able to:
- Describe the current state of eConsent adoption and the two different deployment models
- Identify key operational, regulatory, and integration risks associated with eConsent implementation
- Recognize best practices for enabling interoperable eConsent processes
- Apply and consider practical approaches to evaluating eConsent success at the site level using qualitative and directional metrics
Approved for 1.0 ACRP Contact Hours