Customers ask, we respond. Below are six common questions Ethical hears from customers selecting a software for clinical committee management with insights based on our experience as response. Have a look and you may be surprised at what you learn.
Are you considering using a software for clinical committee management? If yes, you’re probably asking yourself many questions. There are not good or bad questions – all questions are good. There are rather questions of general or specific relevance. Let’s start the conversation with 6 questions we often hear from customers and prospects.
Question 1: Can I run a clinical committee without a dedicated software?
The time when clinical trials were run entirely using paper support for the collection and cleaning of data is definitely over. Due to changing regulations and best practices, a large variety of dedicated software for data collection, study planning and committee management have become necessary. If compliance is often the number one reason for using a clinical committee software, some additional benefits include but are not limited to cost-efficiency, data quality and time-management.
Question 2: Is there software for each type of clinical trial committee?
A clinical trial may involve many different committees. So, if I use a software for clinical endpoint adjudication, am I going to use software also for protocol deviations as well as for DSMBs, Steering Committees and so on? Before making an informed decision, you should check out what compliant, cost-effective software for clinical committee management are available, and how they can help your team and the committee members. At Ethical, we offer a full portfolio of compliant, validated software for clinical endpoint adjudication (eAdjudication®), protocol deviations (eDeviation®), and DSMBs, DMCs and Steering Committees (eDSMB®). Keep in mind that the benefits of using a good clinical committee management software will be multiplied when using equally good software designed for other types of committees.
Question 3: What do committee members say about clinical trial committee software?
We can answer this question based on what we hear from Committee Members regarding Ethical’s software for clinical committee management. Committee members report positively that using software such as eAdjudication®, eDeviation® or eDSMB® helps to easily share confidential documents, meet deadlines, and communicate seamlessly with the sponsor team. The small initial time-investment to get acquainted with the software is considered very reasonable and largely counterbalanced by the time saved to perform their work.
Question 4: Who can help me select the best clinical committee tools for my study?
If your company has a procurement team or a person responsible for sourcing, you should consult with them. Larger companies have lists of preferred or approved vendors and you need to have very strong justification to deviate from the rules. However, you should always conduct your own search and learn from colleagues with previous experience. You will be surprised to find out that key information (good or bad) frequently gets lost in the bureaucracy.
Question 5: Should I run my study committees with internal resources or delegate operational tasks to the software provider?
Controlling the way things are done is always a temptation. Internal personnel know the study particulars and can quickly correct any deviations from the planned process. On the other hand, provider’s resources are more familiar with the tools and will use all the “tips and tricks”. Internal resources cost may not show on your operational budget but is generally higher than outsourcing cost. You should decide based on available manpower and study complexity.
Question 6: How much should I pay for a good clinical committee software? Should I go for the lowest price?
This is a general question that should be asked regardless of what you want to buy. The answer is also common to all purchases: you generally get what you pay for… or less. When reviewing the offers of software providers, you should plan for what you need and accept to pay the just price making sure that there are no hidden costs that may derail your budget. It is virtually impossible to change once you have signed with a provider.
Would you like to find out more about clinical committee management software? With over 25 years of experience delivering innovative solutions for clinical data management and 16 years in clinical committee management, Ethical is uniquely qualified to answer your questions in your search for the best clinical committee software.
eADJUDICATION®: COMPLIANT AND COST-EFFECTIVE ENDPOINT ADJUDICATION COMMITTEES MANAGEMENT
eAdjudication® offers such flexibility that the software configuration and support provision are tailored to exactly match your need.
