Image Credit: © Andrii Yalanskyi – stock.adobe.com
Advarra has published results from its 2024 Site-Sponsor-CRO Collaboration Survey. Results include responses from over 200 stakeholders within sites, sponsors, and CROs. The full report highlights three distinct barriers that prevent greater collaboration, untimely delaying clinical trial execution.1
Survey respondents agreed on the importance of communication. However, over half of the respondents from sites and 43% from sponsors/CROs ranked the need for improved communication as important or very important. Additionally, results showed a much higher percentage of sites are initiating daily/weekly communication compared to sponsors/CROs.
“Sites, sponsors, and CROs have good intentions, but they often work in siloes, isolated from the daily concerns of one another, which—over time—creates friction and slows trials,” Christine Senn, vice president of site-sponsor innovation, Advarra, said in a press release. “With strong relationships across stakeholders, Advarra is uniquely positioned to create common ground to drive innovation and advance clinical research.”
Responses indicated staffing issues as an area needing improvement. In particular, respondents from sites indicated they are seeking better education and training for inexperienced clinical research associates.
In terms of technology and its role in enabling collaboration, about half of the site and sponsor/CRO respondents expressed that better technology would improve their relationships with each other. Despite this, only 29% of site respondents agreed or strongly agreed that sponsor/CRO technology solutions deliver their promised value.
Based on the results of the survey, Advarra identified key actions that can be taken to improve stakeholder relationships. These action items include:
- Implement integrated technology systems
- Enhance communications channels
- Optimize reporting, visibility, and feedback
- Empower protocol adherence
- Improve staff training
Earlier in October, Senn authored an article about site-sponsor collaboration on Applied Clinical Trials. In the article she wrote, “It may not be easy, but the path forward must start with improving processes, communication, and technology to reduce the time and effort required for study startup. We are better together than apart. Only by committing to be part of our theoretical village, can the industry productively collaborate and come together to accelerate study activation and improve the overall efficiency of clinical research.”2
The full report from Advarra can be downloaded here.
References
1. Advarra Publishes 2024 Site-Sponsor-CRO Collaboration Survey Results to Improve Clinical Research. News release. Advarra. November 12, 2024. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/advarra-publishes-2024-site-sponsor-cro-collaboration-survey-results-to-improve-clinical-research-302302070.html
2. Senn C. From Isolation to Integration: Improving Site-Sponsor Collaboration in Clinical Trial Startup. Applied Clinical Trials. October 24, 2024. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.appliedclinicaltrialsonline.com/view/integration-improving-site-sponsor-collaboration-clinical-trial-startup