The future of infectious disease research: local site-based clinical trials with a decentralized twist

Reaching larger, more targeted patient pools 

When it comes to participant recruitment for infectious disease clinical research, it is imperative to reach viable candidate pools. Infectious disease studies often involve enrolling patients that are actively experiencing symptoms or are within a specific window of treatment, making recruitment time-sensitive. However, oftentimes, patients go to primary care physicians, urgent care, and local clinics when they suspect they are ill rather than prestigious research centers that may be conducting studies on their specific illness; making recruitment at research centers from walk-in cases extremely unlikely. To address this need and research ideal participant pools in effective and efficient ways, Curebase activates geographically specific care facilities to implement study recruitment procedures. 

Bringing research to patients 

By meeting patients where they already are, Curebase is able to overcome many barriers that come with traditional enrollment methods. Through targeted ads and general walk-ins, local care facilities see far more potential participants than prestigious research centers making them the ideal location for recruitment. Furthermore, patients are able to learn about these studies from their trusted local providers which aids in growing patients’ trust and encourages more positive patient experiences. 

When patients show up to activated care facilities for a specific trial, presenting with distinct symptoms, care providers can prescreen patients, inform them of the study, and prompt them to complete the trial screening on their mobile device. Once potential participants have passed prescreening and screening, Curebase utilizes advanced eConsent technology to allow patients to consent to the study from their own device, which will then notify the care staff of a participant's enrollment. 

While empowering and expanding site-based clinical research 

Curebase makes site-based clinical trials possible with focused workflows and provider and patient-friendly material to execute trials within local care facilities from start to finish. Clinical research trials run on strict protocols and policies that can be overwhelming and complicated to research-naïve healthcare professionals. Having an end-to-end trial execution solution, like Curebase, that can guide both patients and providers through the necessary trial steps, prompting and educating both parties when necessary is a way to make state-of-the-art healthcare treatments more accessible to patients while engaging outpatient clinics without straining their limited resources. 

Dr. Kirby Farnsworth, a Curebase veteran, has experience working with Curebase for nearly four years. The partnership is a strong example of Curebase properly equipping smaller facilities to be able to offer patients, unique care models. In a trial with Simply Direct Health, with Dr. Farnsworth, Curebase enabled them to offer at-home tests for sexually transmitted diseases where patients were able to administer their own tests and get reliable and accurate results in a much more private setting. Patients w able to take more active roles in their own care while participating in valuable research while researchers were able to research ideal participants in proper settings to optimize data collection. 

Making Site Workflows Easy 

Curebase’s ability to manage workflows is crucial to alleviating extra additional duties from care providers. By offering step-by-step prompts to both providers and patients on their individual devices, care providers are able to focus on treating their patients rather than administrative duties and paperwork. This model gives smaller, more remote care facilities the tools to offer their patients access to much more robust healthcare opportunities without overwhelming providers with additional work. 

To learn more about Curebase’s ability to uniquely design clinical research studies to activate local care facilities and seamlessly manage workflows while collaborating with care providers take a look at our most recent white paper: Optimize Infectious Disease Study Enrollment.