Five Ways To Improve Site Experience Through ePRO and eClinRO Design

When Veeva began developing ePRO and eClinRO, we set out to create a system that would improve the user experience for all stakeholders; patients, sponsors, and sites, who are often overlooked in the drive to advance the adoption of clinical trial technology.

Here are five areas we identified where the system design could make a significant improvement to the site experience:

1. Connecting systems
Arguably, the most prevalent barrier to site adoption and the greatest pain for sites is the number of different systems they must use to conduct clinical studies, each with its own login and username. Veeva is addressing this challenge by creating a connected ecosystem that offers sites a seamless experience with a single login, regardless of what task or system they are working on.

2. System usability
Closely linked to the frustration of multiple logins is the impact of differences between user interfaces. Sites must be trained on each system, and then later recall how to use them after what may be a substantial time later. Consolidating activities into a single platform reduces variation, however, we wanted to go a step further and design a user interface that guides users from the moment they log in.

To achieve this, the user interface surfaces actions clearly, without the need to navigate deeper into the system to find key information or remember what the next step should be. For example, notification badges guide the site through the actions that need to be completed during a patient visit.

Bringing together modern design expertise with an understanding of site workflows and common pain points enabled us to simplify and tailor the user interface to guide users through frequent actions and next steps. This removes the frustration of trying to navigate unfamiliar, unintuitive systems to complete actions.

3. Device flexibility
Managing provisioned devices is a common complaint from sites. They must manage and store many different tablets for every study, and then find the right one for each patient visit. These vendor-specific tablets may be Chromebooks, iPads, or Windows devices — all of which operate differently. Additionally, site IT procedures typically prevent third-party devices from accessing their networks or other site systems which can lead to connectivity issues.

Another challenge arises during patient visits when site investigators typically manage the visit and enter patient information in one system, often on a desktop, but then must switch to a separate tablet to complete eClinRO assessments. This takes time, requires a different login, and interrupts the flow of the visit.

We address these challenges by enabling sites to complete ePRO and eClinRO actions within a single system. This reduces login requirements and removes differences in user interfaces. We also wanted sites to be able to complete each visit on a single tablet or desktop device, meaning we had to design the interface with the flexibility to work through keyboard, mouse, or touch controls.

4. Scoring reviews
Site users need to view the calculated score of assessments once they are completed. Veeva ePRO is designed to ensure scoring is available as soon as each patient assessment is completed. Scores are available through an export but can also be viewed on-screen by clicking on the completed survey, allowing sites to see results right where they are working.

5. Multi-user capabilities
Finally, having witnessed firsthand the frustration of having eClinROs ‘locked out’ to another site user, we incorporated a seamless ‘lock and release’ system, including a full audit trail, to ensure data integrity. This means sites don’t have to think about checking eClinRO surveys in or out; release just happens after a short period of inactivity, so no one is locked out for a long period. In addition, although only one person can edit a survey, multiple users can access it at the same time, meaning data is available for review in real time. This is particularly important when sites need to review responses as a participant progresses through a site visit.

Happy sites, happy sponsors
Many common challenges and frustrations can be resolved when site experience is a core element driving system design. By simplifying workflows and incorporating indicators to guide users through outstanding activities, sites will have a more positive experience. Ultimately, site users will need less support, less retraining, and generate fewer queries, resulting in reduced monitoring workloads and accelerated timelines for study completion.

Learn more about Veeva eCOA.