Onsemble: Fostering Collaboration and Community

At Advarra, we are passionate about empowering our customers to advance better research. Last year, Forte joined Advarra, adding world-class research technology solutions to our institutional review board (IRB), institutional biosafety committee (IBC) and GxP/HRP research compliance consulting services. Collaboration is a key focus area throughout Advarra, and that focus is exemplified by the Onsemble customer community. Made up of research professionals at institutions using the OnCore Enterprise Research System, the community shares best practices, works to address key challenges, and collaborates to shape the technologies they use every day.

Over the past 14 years, Onsemble has grown exponentially. Research professionals from academic medical centers, cancer centers, and health systems have joined to form one of the most connected, active communities in the industry. A key part of the community experience is the biannual Onsemble Conference. Members gather twice yearly to collaborate, network, and have fun, while tackling the industry’s challenges head on. Having recently celebrated the 30th Onsemble Conference, the community’s collective passion and drive is pivotal to the success each meeting.

While this fall’s Onsemble Conference moved to a virtual platform, the community remained focused on advancing clinical research. Over the span of four days, more than 400 attendees participated in sessions centered on executive and CTO leadership, financial management, regulatory and compliance, as well as training, adoption, and implementation.

Overcoming Adversity and Offering Inspiration

Former NFL player and motivational speaker Devon Still kicked off day two of the conference with his engaging and inspiring keynote, Thriving in the Midst of Adversity. Still recounted numerous times throughout his football career where he faced and overcame adversity, the most noteworthy of which was standing by his daughter as she battled and beat cancer. In the 50-minute session, Still walked attendees through the process of enrolling his daughter in a clinical trial, which ultimately led her to overcoming cancer.

Still shared his message of hope and inspiration, along with the playbook he and his family followed while his daughter underwent treatment. Still helped his daughter push through her cancer diagnosis and treatments by celebrating the small victories every step of the way, stopping to have fun, and never giving up. The session was not only motivational and inspiring, but also a reminder why community members work tirelessly to move clinical research forward.

Reflecting on This Year’s Successes, Looking Toward the Future

Later, members of Advarra’s Leadership Team presented Strategies and Moving Research Forward. Attendees heard from Gadi Saarony, Advarra CEO; James Wurdeman, Advarra Chief Product Officer; and Carrie Nemke, Senior Vice President of Customer Relationships. Saarony discussed the current clinical trial landscape in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, recounting how the industry has adapted quickly, showing resiliency. The industry is faced with the opportunity to permanently change clinical trial conduct for the better, Saarony said, to remove barriers, improve patient experience, and deliver treatments faster.

Members of the Onsemble Community have played a significant role in these improvements. Recounting on milestones that community members have already worked toward this year, Wurdeman also highlighted a handful of ways institutions have worked with Advarra to streamline the research process. A key focus was new regulatory document management efficiencies created through technology integrations. Wurdeman showed how integrating the Advarra eRegulatory Management System with other enterprise technology such as a local eIRB system, Advarra’s CIRBI platform, email systems, OnCore, and more can result in more than 16 hours of time savings for each protocol. By leveraging these new integrations, sites can increase the speed of their protocol timelines without sacrificing the quality in the process.

Effectively Communicating to Complete a Clinical Trials Audit Remotely

Ginnette Watkins-Keller of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey presented Beyond Remote Monitoring – Conducting a Clinical Trials Audit Remotely During a Pandemic. After adopting a work-from-home lifestyle, various members of the Rutgers Clinical Trial Office took on the challenge of participating in a remote audit. Watkins-Keller recounted steps her team took, along with lessons learned in the process. Taking advantage of tools such as OnCore and Advarra eReg, staff members met virtually to prepare files, communicate, and prepare for an upcoming audit. Watkins-Keller showed how hosting a test run beforehand proved to be beneficial, greatly reducing roadblocks during the actual audit. Paired with communication, the key to completing a successful audit includes taking advantage of the tools an organization has and making sure everyone knows their role when it comes to the day of the audit.

Watkins-Keller’s session was just one example of how the Onsemble Community comes together to educate and collaborate. While we miss seeing our wonderful community members in person, the success of the virtual conference is a testament to their dedication to elevating the community and advancing research.

To learn more about the Onsemble Conference, visit our conference website. If you’re interested in learning more about OnCore and becoming a member of the Onsemble Community, schedule a demo with our customer relationships team.

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