Pandemic-proof recruitment and engagement in a fully decentralized trial in atrial fibrillation patients (DeTAP)
Sarraju et al.
The finding, in our words
A six-month, fully decentralised trial in 100 atrial fibrillation patients using remote blood pressure and six-lead ECG sensors achieved 99% completion for device measurements and 91% for televisits, with oral anticoagulation adherence remaining stable at 96–97%. Rapid recruitment via social media (94 participants in 12 days) demonstrates that remote monitoring can sustain high engagement without clinic visits, supporting pandemic-proof trial designs.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
A direct-to-participant, multichannel recruitment strategy enrolled 34,244 older adults into a virtual trial testing an Apple Watch based heart health programme with electrocardiogram and irregular rhythm notification features, achieving broad geographic and gender diversity but under-representing non-White ethnic groups.
Wearable-derived digital biomarkers have been accepted by regulatory agencies as endpoints in clinical trials for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, showing their potential to support decentralised diagnostics through patient-centric monitoring. This matters because it enables more sensitive and continuous assessment of disease progression outside clinical settings.
Ma et al., Neurology and therapy (paywalled) · source ↗
This study found that a decentralised approach using home-based sleep apnoea screening, heart rhythm monitoring and activity tracking in patients with atrial fibrillation is feasible, with high data completeness and low drop-out rates. The results support the use of patient-centric digital tools in decentralised trials for chronic cardiac conditions.
Hashiba et al., Danish medical journal (paywalled) · source ↗
In a Phase 1 crossover study of etrasimod, self-collected blood microsamples yielded pharmacokinetic exposures comparable to conventional venous sampling, both with and without participant practice sessions. Continuous wearable sensors concurrently enabled real-time remote monitoring of safety vital signs and electrocardiograms, demonstrating the viability of hybrid decentralised designs in early-phase clinical trials.
Malhotra et al., Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics · source ↗
A large decentralised trial investigating a wearable device for COVID-19 detection retained 80.4% of participants at six months and 68.5% until completion. Multivariable analysis identified vaccinated pensioners as a high-risk discontinuation group, and targeted telephone calls reduced their dropout rate to 11.4%, showing that personalised retention strategies can improve engagement in remote diagnostic studies.
Zwiers et al., Mayo Clinic proceedings. Digital health · source ↗