Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a trend toward decentralized clinical trials (DCTs). DCTs are trials in which some or all of the participant visits occur outside the traditional clinic or hospital setting and separate from the investigator. They often employ communication technologies (e.g., telehealth platforms, smartphone-based apps), digital health technologies (e.g., remote sensors, and other wearable devices), and home health solutions. During the height of the pandemic, many clinical trials were put on hold because of restrictions against nonurgent care and the risk of acquiring the disease. Sponsors and some contract research organizations (CROs), such as PRA Health Sciences (recently acquired by ICON plc), were able to continue some trials by further leveraging DCTs. However, it’s not as simple as flipping a switch. There are four approaches that ICON, for example, found useful in operationalizing decentralized clinical trials (DCTs).
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