In clinical trials, where innovation often hinges on participant involvement, many studies are facing challenges in attracting and retaining enough participants. One key factor behind this difficulty is the trial’s communication process. The traditional methods often leave patients frustrated, causing dropout rates to soar. However, a shift is underway, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, as customer experience automation company Ushur explains.
A compassionate and technology-driven revolution is taking place in clinical trials, with AI and automation transforming how biopharmaceutical and life sciences companies communicate with trial participants.
This shift is transforming a historically complex and impersonal journey into a more human-centric experience, making pre-screening, onboarding, and ongoing monitoring more effective and efficient.
The communication challenge in clinical trials
Historically, communication in clinical trials has struggled to keep up with the participants’ needs. It’s not that biopharmaceutical and life sciences companies aren’t trying, but traditional methods fall short.
Participants often face delays when waiting for answers to important questions or updates on their progress, leading to dissatisfaction.
A study published by BioMedCentral highlighted that poor doctor-patient relationships and unclear communication about protocols contribute to higher dropout rates among oncology patients.
The reliance on slow, inconsistent communication methods often results in miscommunication and confusion, causing delays in trials and missed opportunities for important data collection.
Ultimately, these breakdowns in communication lead to extended timelines and increased costs.
Fortunately, AI and automation are changing the way biopharmaceutical and life sciences companies handle trial communications. Automated eligibility screening, pre-qualification, and onboarding now streamline the patient recruitment process.
These systems allow participants to submit information on their schedule, reducing travel and coordination issues while eliminating paperwork and data entry errors.
AI-powered automation has already proven its value, reducing recruitment time by 34%. It’s a game-changer for clinical trials, making the process faster, more accurate, and far less burdensome for both participants and staff.
This approach not only improves efficiency but also increases patient outreach and enhances the consistency of information provided.
Enhancing participant onboarding with AI
The onboarding phase is often the most critical for clinical trial success. AI and automation have revolutionised this stage by offering participants personalised onboarding experiences with tailored messages, educational resources, and logistical information.
AI-powered chat agents answer common queries 24/7, ensuring patients have the information they need.
AI can also personalise communications throughout the trial, ensuring participants feel supported and informed at every stage.
The systems automatically send reminders for appointments, check-ins, and progress updates, reducing dropout rates while improving data collection. These improvements allow biopharmaceutical companies to focus on delivering high-quality trials with better participant engagement.
Once participants are enrolled, the ongoing monitoring process is critical to gathering data. AI systems simplify this by allowing participants to submit health updates and adverse event reports via secure digital interfaces.
These solutions adapt to each individual’s needs, using tailored surveys to capture the most relevant information while flagging concerning responses for immediate review by human staff.
The result is an efficient process that supports both patients and research teams. By automating routine tasks and offering smart support, AI helps ensure trial outcomes remain accurate and timely, while maintaining long-term participant engagement.
This technology not only streamlines data collection but also enhances patient experiences, driving better results for biopharmaceutical and life sciences companies.
How Ushur can help
Ushur is playing a pivotal role in transforming clinical trial communication through its innovative platform, UshurX for Clinical Trials.
By leveraging AI and automation, the firm offers a solution designed to tackle the significant communication challenges faced by biopharmaceutical and life sciences companies during the trial process.
One of the key benefits of Ushur’s technology lies in its ability to streamline communication with trial participants. From automated pre-screening and onboarding to continuous engagement, UshurX ensures that participants remain informed and supported throughout their journey.
Read the full blog from Ushur here.
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