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Why remote work lends itself well to clinical sector roles
20 Feb, 20238 minutesIn 2011 Pfizer conducted a world-first fully “virtual” trial. In the space of a decade, dec...

In 2011 Pfizer conducted a world-first
fully “virtual” trial. In the space of a decade, decentralised trials have
moved from being an experimental approach to a commonplace trial design. The
last few years have brought a shake up in the traditional clinical trial
requirements that have been standardised for decades. This increase in decentralisation
has been enabled through adoption of telemedicine,
digital healthcare interfaces, wearables, and other technology, meaning
that more trials can and are taking place entirely remotely – and clinical
professionals are able to benefit from the flexibility of remote work just as
those in other sectors have.
Why remote work lends itself well to the clinical sector.
Since the pandemic, decentralised trials have risen in popularity,
with 76%
of life science organisations reporting that at least some of their trials have
already been decentralised. Tech used in these trials, such as wearable sensors
and other monitoring devices that can be operated in the patient’s home, have
enabled them to progress without the need for in-person monitoring or on-site
activities.
This type of tech and trial innovation has led to increased
flexibility and convenience for patient participants, but also means more
flexibility can be extended to staff on the study too. Study startup
specialists, clinical research associates and right through to clinical trial
leadership roles can now be conducted either fully or partially remotely; now, around
76%
of CRAs conduct most of their monitoring visits remotely, and 97% of trial
sponsors are using software to enable remote
data reviews.
The ability to link remotely with sites is now
the top priority for trial sponsors when investing in trial enablement
technology, which reflects the benefits the sector has experienced through
trial decentralisation in recent years.
Benefits for you and your workforce of embracing remote work and decentralisation.
Access to talent
A core benefit of remote work in the clinical sector is
increased access to specialised talent. By nature, employees involved in
clinical research trials are often required to have a niche knowledge set,
which already makes the talent pool to headhunt from relatively small.
Searching by proximity to a trial site leaves you with an
even more limited talent pool. With remote work, sites can be staffed and
monitored by the best and brightest candidates from anywhere in the world in
theory, and physical location becomes less of a barrier to progressing a
project.
Widening a search with the intent to hire remotely can help
address workforce shortages within clinical disciplines and provide access to
highly specialised professionals who may not be available locally to trial
sites.
Enhanced safety
Working remotely has the added benefit of enhanced safety,
which has become even more of a priority for sponsors since the COVID-19
pandemic. Potential hazards can be significantly diminished by allowing
employees to work from even a different room or a completely different
location. With the pandemic fresh in everyone’s minds, the danger of viral infection
is an obvious example of a risk that will be minimised. Additionally, the need
for costly
and time-consuming hygiene protocols can be reduced.
Enhancing the safety of clinical trials through remote
working could also help increase the number of trial participants. Changes in
attitudes since the pandemic have left people wary of
participating in clinical trials and visiting clinical trial sites. Being able
to show potential participants that the remote working methods will be able to heighten
safety protocols could result in an increase in the number of participants.
Overhead costs
A remote workforce removes the need for some of the large-scale
clinical trial facilities, utilities, and other overhead costs, which can drop
trial costs by around 25-30%. This is one of the largest benefits remote
work can offer the clinical sector, seeing as clinical trials are often one the
most expensive
parts of bringing a drug to market.
By reducing these overheads you’re able to redirect
resources to other areas of the business or for use further down the product
development cycle.
How to get the best from your distributed workforce
As the clinical sector continues to evolve and incorporate
more remote work options, finding ways to effectively manage and motivate both
remote and onsite teams becomes an increasingly relevant part of workplace
strategy.
In the clinical sector, teamwork is key for ensuring trials
are carried out effectively and efficiently. As a leader, you should encourage
team collaboration to ensure that everyone is able to work effectively
together, regardless of location. Setting a standard when it comes to cross-collaboration
can encourage valuable communication across virtual teams, as well as help to
maintain a strong workplace culture. Ensuring the technology is in place for every
member of the team to benefit from this, including contractors, is essential.
When it comes to meetings, they should be clear in purpose
and used for discussion rather than just disseminating information. When it
comes to virtual meetings, you can improve their efficiency and ensure they’re
as valuable as possible by:
·
Sharing any relevant materials and resources
beforehand
·
Collecting prior input on the discussion points
·
Keeping an eye on the engagement of the attendees
throughout
·
Using breakout rooms for longer meetings to enable
all voices to have their say
Recurring meetings can also be used to set rhythms and
routines within your teams, such as the use of a whole company meeting to mark
the start of the week or mid-week catchups to share trial updates.
Being a leader in the clinical sector, you should encourage
all employees, whether they are working remotely or onsite, to continuously
learn and develop their skills. This can be achieved through online training
and workshops, mentorship programs, or in-person training sessions for onsite
workers. This helps to ensure that all employees are up-to-date on the latest
developments in the industry and can contribute effectively to the team's
goals, regardless of their location.
Remote work lends itself well to the clinical sector, and its presence is on the rise. Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Novartis, and Merck are just a few of the life science giants who are continuing to offer remote or hybrid roles for their teams in the clinical space. With such big names embracing the viability and benefits that remote work can offer in the clinical space, now is the time to have remote-friendly systems and processes in order as a blended and distributed workforce becomes the norm.