Association between decentralised clinical trial adoption and trial duration: a retrospective cross-sectional study of metabolic disease trials
Cho & Lee
The finding, in our words
In a retrospective analysis of 444 metabolic disease trials, adoption of decentralised trial elements was not significantly associated with shorter trial duration after adjustment for clinical phase and characteristics. Phase 2 and 3 DCTs showed numerically shorter mean durations, but differences were not statistically significant, suggesting operational complexities may currently offset theoretical efficiency gains.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
A study in two UK cities found that at-home first-void urine sampling for HPV screening achieved a 59% uptake among women aged 60-79. Telephone reminders increased response by 5% compared with text messages, showing that decentralised sampling can engage older women, though response rates varied by area-level deprivation and screening history.
Rake et al., BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · source ↗
In four crew members, capillary volumetric absorptive microsampling caught altered acetaminophen pharmacokinetics in flight: Cmax rose to 43,300 ng/mL from 9,110 before flight and clearance fell to 3,890 mL/h from 16,200, pointing to toxicity risk at standard dosing; four people only, but a case for microsampling where no clinic can reach.
Mampre et al., Journal of clinical pharmacology · source ↗
Ten decentralised cancer trials run across 47 Veterans Affairs medical centres enrolled 134 patients, nearly a third of them rural and a fifth from minority groups, matching the population the VA's tele-oncology service already reaches. The authors' own caveat stands: remote conduct widened access, and not every trial design can be run this way.
Friedman et al., Journal of the National Cancer Institute (paywalled) · source ↗
The study observed favourable trends in the accrual of participants residing far from the site and those from underrepresented groups following the implementation of a decentralised clinical trial program.
The Australian Teletrial Programme improved patient access to trials and workforce capability through harmonised processes and training, but broader implementation is limited by workforce turnover, complex approvals, and variable leadership engagement. This highlights that systemic policy and governance support are critical for the sustainable integration of decentralised trial models.
Sabesan et al., Journal of telemedicine and telecare (paywalled) · source ↗