Patient preferences for using mobile technologies in clinical trials

Abstract

The use of mobile technologies to collect participant data in clinical trials offers a number of scientific and logistical advantages. However, little is known about potential research participant preferences about how to incorporate mobile technologies into the design and conduct of a trial. Using a web-based survey which described hypothetical mobile clinical trial and traditional clinical trial scenarios, we explored patients’ perceptions of and willingness to participate in mobile and traditional clinical trials, their preferred trial procedures related to the use of mobile technologies, and the preferred attributes of mobile technologies. The majority of survey respondents reported that they would prefer participating in a clinical trial that used mobile technology than a traditional trial that relied on standard in-clinic assessments. They expressed that mobile clinical trials offered greater convenience, a reduction of in-person clinic visits, and greater data collection accuracy. Respondents also reported preferences for the frequency of in-clinic visits during mobile clinical trials, device training and troubleshooting, data privacy and confidentiality, the location of data storage, and user access to data collected by the trial device. As research participants become more involved in capturing their own data to inform trial endpoints, their user-preferences of mobile technology, such as those described here, should be considered in the design and conduct of mobile clinical trials.

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“…To address this gap, CTTI conducted a survey [ 6 ] of 193 potential research participants to better understand patients’ preferences, their willingness to use, and concerns with using digital health technology in clinical research [ 7 ]. It also conducted qualitative telephone interviews with 12 site investigators with experience in using digital health technologies in clinical trials [ 8 ].…”

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“…While some participants may be willing to primarily use forms of communication other than in-person visits, others may still prefer frequent face-to-face interaction. 6 Appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that all participants remain engaged.…”

“…To address this gap, CTTI conducted a survey of 193 potential research participants to better understand patients' preferences, their willingness to use, and concerns with using mobile technology in clinical research. 6 It also conducted qualitative telephone interviews with 12 site investigators with experience in using mobile technologies in clinical trials. CTTI then convened a two-day expert meeting with investigators, patient partners, regulators, sponsors, technology experts, and others to present findings and solicit additional input.…”