Telemedicine in clinical research projects
For quite some time now, the collection of medical data in clinical studies is no longer limited to what the clinical investigator documents in the CRF. More and more, patients are getting directly involved in the data collection process, e.g. by the use of quality-of-life questionnaires or specific diaries, and, more recently, by telemetric monitoring of certain biometric data, including primarily
- Blood pressure,
- ECG and
- Body weight,
- but also blood glucose levels or INR values,
- Pulse oximetry or other respiratory parameters.
Small, easy-to-use devices are handed out to the patient to transmit biometric data from the patient’s home to a central facility at regular intervals. These data are then used to frequently or continuously monitor the efficacy and safety of the therapy without the study patient having to come in personally for visits and without the need for costly original data comparisons – because these data are directly sourced from the diagnostic device and cannot be changed by the patient or the investigator.
Over many years, our team has gained experiences with telemedical data while conducting research projects, especially with telemetric ECGs. We can help you choosing an appropriate system for your study and advise you on how to set up the required logistics.