Encouraging Site Centricity and Collaboration at Onsemble

During the week of October 5-8, more than 1,700 Advarra technology customers gathered virtually for the Fall Onsemble Conference. A customer-exclusive conference, Onsemble is designed to bring together members from the research community to network, learn, and discuss strategies to keep research moving forward. With panels, sessions, keynotes, and virtual networking, members had numerous opportunities to draw inspiration for their respective institutions.

The main theme woven throughout the conference was site centricity and how attendees can go above and beyond while building connections to make research safer, smarter, and faster. New to this Fall’s conference was the CORE community, consisting of research professionals using Clinical Conductor CTMS. The CORE and Onsemble Community unification signifies a united community of research professionals with the mission to advance human health.

A Deep Dive into Advarra’s Products and Services

Jonathan Shough, President, Technology Solutions; James Wurdeman, Chief Product Officer; and Orla Mester, SVP Professional Services addressed the largest community of research professionals with a deep dive into updates on Advarra products and services. Stressing the importance of site centricity, a main theme throughout the presentation was building and enhancing end-to-end research site workflows. To make this a success, the industry needs to shift to a new model, leveraging enterprise site technology instead of burdensome systems provided by sponsors and CROs. Throughout the conference, Advarra leadership stressed the need for this shift, encouraging sites to adopt new technology.

Additionally, Mester stressed the importance of getting the most out of your technology investment with Advarra Professional Services. Industry-wide, sites are experiencing staff shortages, lack of skilled resources for study activation, and a changing operational landscape. As we move toward remote capabilities, Mester noted in the next year, 65% of contract research organizations (CROs) and 85% of sponsors will adopt eConsent, and 80% of all ongoing trials will have a remote element.

By leveraging Advarra products and services and outsourcing services, sites can bridge the workforce gap, improve activation timelines, and focus on the research at hand.

Creative Approaches to Accelerate Study Startup

Efficient study startup approaches continues to be a hot topic in the clinical research industry. In a panel discussion, led by Advarra’s Robann Cunningham; Neal Herman, Syneos Health; Clare Grace, Parexel; and Alison Lakin, University of Colorado Denver discussed methods to improve both study startup and industry collaboration.

The main point woven throughout the presentation included decentralized clinical trials (DCTs). Panelists noted if there were any silver linings to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the industry getting serious about adopting decentralized modalities to efficiently conduct clinical research. Through DCTs, sites can free upreduce operational burdens and become more participant-centric. Paired with site technology and outsourcing startup activities, sites are well-positioned for streamlined study operations, allowing them to focus more on the participants in each trial and how they can benefit from the research at hand.

Tracking and Reporting Minority Clinical Trial Accruals

In his presentation Tracking and Reporting Minority Clinical Trial Accruals, Nick Fisher of Siteman Cancer Center outlined how to best track, calculate, report, and share minority clinical trial accrual rates. In the past, Fisher explained his site’s approach was to send a physical letter to principal investigators (PIs) noting their accrual goals compared to the targeted goal. However, there were no useful comparison tools or benchmarking tools in that approach.

Now, research staff at Siteman use OnCore to send out automated emails PIs, highlighting key information for accrual, including total accrual in the past 12 months and total minority accrual in the same timeframe. This helps PIs compare their work to minority accruals in other areas of the clinic, improving visibility and accountability throughout the organization.

Fisher outlined additional initiatives at Siteman, such as utilizing a community advisory board. This resource is designed to allow PIs to come in, present their studies to a board, and receive feedback on how their trial is or is not friendly to specific populations. Additionally, PIs receive feedback on what they can do to be more accessible and reach a broader population, helping more participants along the way. Through improved tracking efforts and resources such as this board, Fisher noted these opportunities create a culture to drive change within their organization.

These presentations were just a few of the more than 35 sessions at the four-day conference. Though virtual, the conference provided a plethora of valuable opportunities for sites to learn, network, and collaborate to truly move research forward.

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