2024 · Cancer control : journal of the Moffitt Cancer Center · open access
Decentralized Clinical Trials at Home: Commentary on Caregivers' Burden
Bolajoko et al.
The finding, in our words
Decentralised clinical trials conducted in home environments shift substantial logistical and procedural responsibilities onto caregivers of cancer patients. Addressing digital literacy barriers, sample handling workflows, and inadequate support is essential to prevent excessive caregiver burden during remote trial execution.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
In AML and CLL, 91% of VAMS venetoclax results fell within 20% of plasma after individualised haematocrit correction; in home sampling, 18 of 21 patients self-sampled independently and 76% of returned samples were analysable, which shows home microsampling is workable, though the authors ask for multicentre validation.
Levens et al., Clinical Pharmacokinetics (paywalled) · source ↗
This review suggests that decentralised clinical trials in oncology can improve patient participation and equity but face significant regulatory, logistical and digital hurdles. It concludes that these trials offer a flexible model dependent on specific clinical contexts rather than a universal replacement for conventional methods.
Gentile et al., Critical reviews in oncology/hematology (paywalled) · source ↗
The study found that although participants preferred patient-centric microsampling devices for home use, the agreement with venous plasma for measuring CRP and cytokines was inconsistent, indicating that further validation is required before these methods replace standard venipuncture.
The study demonstrated the feasibility of a fully decentralised design by successfully recruiting 37 participants and completing follow-up for self-collected stool samples without requiring on-site visits.
Feles & Mattner, JMIR research protocols · source ↗
This study validated a low-cost 3D-printed smartphone attachment and paper sensor for measuring glucose, uric acid and cholesterol in saliva, demonstrating high correlation with standard ELISA results in a small clinical cohort. The authors suggest this platform offers a scalable solution for decentralised diabetes management by balancing sensitivity with affordability.
Yang et al., Biosensors & bioelectronics (paywalled) · source ↗