Blog 4 minute read

Why eCOA data reporting often falls short (and what to do about it)

eCOA data is important to 69% of respondents in a Datacubed Health survey. However, 38% are dissatisfied with current reporting. This dissatisfaction includes both the information provided and the delivery methods. Trial stakeholders need insights in a format they can understand and act on quickly. Sponsors, CROs, and others require timely access to this information.

How can we close the gap between expectations and reality?

By nature, eCOA and ePRO solutions are designed so it’s easy for clinicians and patients to interact and provide information related to a clinical trial. But that front-end experience is only part of the equation. eCOA and ePRO solutions also need a thoughtful back-end experience.

Pharmaceutical companies, CROs, clinicians, study coordinators, study nurses, and other stakeholders need access to insights generated through the front-end experience. Too often, however, these “insights” are little more than a massive data dump. Stakeholders may lack the time and/or ability to make sense of all that data. It’s overwhelming, difficult to navigate, and unhelpful.

In short, there is too much noise and not enough signal.

Can your data reporting do this?

Ideally, an eCOA/ePRO solution should offer a reporting model that provides relevant, timely insights. It provides these insights at every level — from individual patients and sites/investigators to geographic regions and the entire study population. It’s intuitive so your stakeholders aren’t spending hours performing data analysis. And it makes it possible to:

Interact with data and drill deeper into specific metrics.

Averages reveal only part of any picture. Outliers can drag them down and skew the data. Advanced reporting roots out specific issues for a fast, customized response.

eCOA and ePRO solutions need a thoughtful back-end experience.

Consider patient enrollment. In aggregate, your reports may show a strong enrollment rate of 92%. However, a closer look reveals a significant difference between European performance (96%) vs. North America (88%). After clicking down another level, it becomes clear that a single site is the weak link; it has met only 70% of its target enrollment. With that granular insight, you can reach out to the site to understand what’s happening and how you can support a solution to reach the enrollment goal.

Advanced reporting delivers these insights for more than just enrollment. With a granular view, you can predict and address issues before they impede trial progress. It’s also a more efficient approach, as you can deploy resources to sites and patients most needing different engagement strategies or other proactive support.
  • Customize reporting tools based on job roles. Too much data can be worse than no data at all. By serving up custom insights for each role, advanced reporting gives stakeholders convenient access to the news they can use. Stakeholders can proactively check in on reports or receive alerts about relevant milestones. Either way, they have the real-world information they need to resolve issues before they endanger study milestones.
  • Provide high-level reports detailing what contributors need to know to advance the study. No two studies are the same. Advanced reporting enables you to create high-level reports that reflect each trial’s specific protocol and metrics. While role-specific reports give stakeholders a focused view of progress, this high-level report keeps everyone informed and aligned around trial-wide targets.

From better reporting to better results

Raw, messy data is a disservice to any clinical trial, but data translated into meaningful and timely insights can transform trial performance. Insist on an eCOA/ePRO solution that enables excellent patient and site experience while respecting that data is the critical “product” to deliver.

Advanced reporting enables you to create high-level reports that reflect each trial’s specific protocol and metrics.

Only with advanced reporting can your stakeholders cut through the noise and listen to the signals that matter. Together, you can prevent rather than react to potential issues. You can expedite trial timelines and contain study costs. Ultimately, you can get therapies to market faster.

Are you looking for a way to help your stakeholders make sense of the data and uncover the signals that matter? With Datacubed, you can prevent issues from happening, reduce trial timelines, and get therapies to market faster, all while keeping costs down. To experience the Datacubed difference for yourself, watch our brief demo video. When you’re ready to get started, reach out and talk to one of our experts today!