Celebrating International Clinical Trials Day
Firsthand Lessons in Patient Experience
Every year on May 20th, we commemorate International Clinical Trials Day, honoring the crucial role of clinical research in advancing healthcare. This day recognizes the dedication of researchers, healthcare professionals, and participants who contribute to developing groundbreaking treatments and therapies. Without clinical trials, there would be no new medicines.
At Evinova, our work is more than just a profession; it's a passion. And for some of our team members, it’s also personal. To commemorate International Clinical Trials Day, some of our employees share their experiences as participants and patients and the impactful lessons they've integrated into their roles, driving innovation at Evinova.
Trust and Trial Participation:
Kelly McKee, Evinova’s Head of Innovative Patient Recruitment, has been working directly with patients and patient groups for decades. Despite her many years of experience, participating in a vaccine clinical trial provided new and valuable insights.
“This firsthand perspective deepened my commitment to ensuring that trials are accessible to everyone. It also sharpened my focus on improving the patient experience, from recruitment to retention and long term follow up. I firmly believe that everyone working in this field should take part in a trial if possible.”
Kelly also discovered that despite the promise, there are still practical problems to solve in clinical research. Sometimes these issues seem basic - such as unclear instructions or clunky technology, but ultimately, the experience helped sharpen her focus on improving the patient experience at every step. Her takeaway:
"We must walk the walk if we are serious about transforming the system.”
Reducing Patient Burden:
When Heather Bonsiero, Evinova’s Communications and Marketing Lead, enrolled in a fully decentralized trial, it gave her a new appreciation for patient burden. Even though she never had to travel to a site, she was surprised that even virtual study visits felt disruptive, especially since the trial took place during pregnancy and postpartum.
Heather also had to collect samples at specific times and was given printed out worksheets, directions and links to instructional videos on multiple websites.
“I would have benefited from an app like Unified Trial Solution that has reminders, videos, patient guides, virtual questionnaires and access to the study team all in one place.”
Like a lot of other participants, Heather was motivated to stick with it because she wanted to help other women like her.
“Patients who dedicate their time and energy to clinical trials are contributing to a greater cause. We’ll never completely remove patient burden but owe it to participants to use all the tools at our disposal to improve the experience as much as possible.”
Considering Caregivers:
In clinical research, caregivers play a crucial yet often overlooked role. These individuals—parents, spouses, children, or friends—provide essential support to patients throughout their clinical trial journey. They manage schedules, assist with treatment adherence, offer emotional support, and facilitate communication with research teams. It’s important to consider both patients and caregivers when designing clinical trials, ensuring they are not only scientifically rigorous but also practical and accessible for those who need them most.
Colby Flint, our Product Director for Platform Services and Data, has a four-year-old son with a rare genetic disorder. His experience as a parent using tools that track seizures and other symptoms has helped serve as a motivator and increased his understanding of how transformative advancements in digital health can be for an affected patient and their family.
"In both my career and my role as a caregiver, I've seen firsthand how the right digital tools can make a difference."
Colby explains:
"It's not just about data collection—it's about empowering families to better understand and manage complex health conditions. This experience has deepened my desire to help patients and caregivers any way I can."
A Commitment to Progress
At Evinova, our team's personal experiences help fuel our commitment to improving clinical trials. We’re proud to collaborate with global research leaders to enhance trial accessibility, efficiency, and patient-centricity. Our proven solutions support sponsors, sites, and patients throughout the journey of developing the next generation of life-saving medicines.
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