Implementing sensor‐based digital health technologies in clinical trials: Key considerations from the eCOA Consortium

Abstract The increased use of sensor‐based digital health technologies (DHTs) in clinical trials brought to light concerns about implementation practices that might introduce burden on trial participants, resulting in suboptimal compliance and become an additional complicating factor in clinical tri...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Elena S. Izmailova, Danielle Middleton, Reem Yunis, Julia Lakeland, Kristen Sowalsky, Julia Kling, Alison Ritchie, Christine C. Guo, Bill Byrom, Scottie Kern
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-11-01
Series:Clinical and Translational Science
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/cts.70054
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850144727838490624
author Elena S. Izmailova
Danielle Middleton
Reem Yunis
Julia Lakeland
Kristen Sowalsky
Julia Kling
Alison Ritchie
Christine C. Guo
Bill Byrom
Scottie Kern
author_facet Elena S. Izmailova
Danielle Middleton
Reem Yunis
Julia Lakeland
Kristen Sowalsky
Julia Kling
Alison Ritchie
Christine C. Guo
Bill Byrom
Scottie Kern
author_sort Elena S. Izmailova
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The increased use of sensor‐based digital health technologies (DHTs) in clinical trials brought to light concerns about implementation practices that might introduce burden on trial participants, resulting in suboptimal compliance and become an additional complicating factor in clinical trial conduct. These concerns may contribute to the lower‐than‐anticipated uptake of DHT deployment and data use for regulatory decision‐making, despite well‐articulated benefits. The Electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment (eCOA) Consortium gathered collective experience on deploying sensor‐based DHTs and supplemented this with relevant literature focusing on mechanisms that may enhance participant compliance. The process for DHT implementation starts with identifying a clinical concept of interest followed by a digital measure selection, defining active or passive data capture and their sources, the number of sensors with respective body location, plus the duration and frequency of use in the context of perceived participant burden. Roundtable discussions among patient groups, physicians, and technology providers prior to protocol development can be very impactful for optimizing trial design. While diversity and inclusion are essential for any clinical trial, patient populations should be considered carefully in the context of trial‐specific aims, requirements, and anticipated patient burden. Minimizing site burden includes assessment of training, research engagement, and logistical burden which needs to be triaged differently for early and late‐stage clinical trials. Additional considerations include sharing trial results with study participants and leveraging publicly available data for compliance modeling. To the best of our knowledge, this report provides holistic considerations for sensor‐based DHT implementation that may optimize participant compliance.
format Article
id doaj-art-a988b900632d4203b8331ba4bc6fb9f2
institution OA Journals
issn 1752-8054
1752-8062
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Clinical and Translational Science
spelling doaj-art-a988b900632d4203b8331ba4bc6fb9f22025-08-20T02:28:16ZengWileyClinical and Translational Science1752-80541752-80622024-11-011711n/an/a10.1111/cts.70054Implementing sensor‐based digital health technologies in clinical trials: Key considerations from the eCOA ConsortiumElena S. Izmailova0Danielle Middleton1Reem Yunis2Julia Lakeland3Kristen Sowalsky4Julia Kling5Alison Ritchie6Christine C. Guo7Bill Byrom8Scottie Kern9Koneksa Health New York New York USAAstraZeneca PLC Cambridge UKMedable, Inc Palo Alto California USAuMotif Ltd London UKAPDM Wearable Technologies, a Clario Company Portland Oregon USAKoneksa Health New York New York USAParexel International Sheffield UKActiGraph LLC Pensacola Florida USASignant Health London UKCritical Path Institute Tucson Arizona USAAbstract The increased use of sensor‐based digital health technologies (DHTs) in clinical trials brought to light concerns about implementation practices that might introduce burden on trial participants, resulting in suboptimal compliance and become an additional complicating factor in clinical trial conduct. These concerns may contribute to the lower‐than‐anticipated uptake of DHT deployment and data use for regulatory decision‐making, despite well‐articulated benefits. The Electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment (eCOA) Consortium gathered collective experience on deploying sensor‐based DHTs and supplemented this with relevant literature focusing on mechanisms that may enhance participant compliance. The process for DHT implementation starts with identifying a clinical concept of interest followed by a digital measure selection, defining active or passive data capture and their sources, the number of sensors with respective body location, plus the duration and frequency of use in the context of perceived participant burden. Roundtable discussions among patient groups, physicians, and technology providers prior to protocol development can be very impactful for optimizing trial design. While diversity and inclusion are essential for any clinical trial, patient populations should be considered carefully in the context of trial‐specific aims, requirements, and anticipated patient burden. Minimizing site burden includes assessment of training, research engagement, and logistical burden which needs to be triaged differently for early and late‐stage clinical trials. Additional considerations include sharing trial results with study participants and leveraging publicly available data for compliance modeling. To the best of our knowledge, this report provides holistic considerations for sensor‐based DHT implementation that may optimize participant compliance.https://doi.org/10.1111/cts.70054
spellingShingle Elena S. Izmailova
Danielle Middleton
Reem Yunis
Julia Lakeland
Kristen Sowalsky
Julia Kling
Alison Ritchie
Christine C. Guo
Bill Byrom
Scottie Kern
Implementing sensor‐based digital health technologies in clinical trials: Key considerations from the eCOA Consortium
Clinical and Translational Science
title Implementing sensor‐based digital health technologies in clinical trials: Key considerations from the eCOA Consortium
title_full Implementing sensor‐based digital health technologies in clinical trials: Key considerations from the eCOA Consortium
title_fullStr Implementing sensor‐based digital health technologies in clinical trials: Key considerations from the eCOA Consortium
title_full_unstemmed Implementing sensor‐based digital health technologies in clinical trials: Key considerations from the eCOA Consortium
title_short Implementing sensor‐based digital health technologies in clinical trials: Key considerations from the eCOA Consortium
title_sort implementing sensor based digital health technologies in clinical trials key considerations from the ecoa consortium
url https://doi.org/10.1111/cts.70054
work_keys_str_mv AT elenasizmailova implementingsensorbaseddigitalhealthtechnologiesinclinicaltrialskeyconsiderationsfromtheecoaconsortium
AT daniellemiddleton implementingsensorbaseddigitalhealthtechnologiesinclinicaltrialskeyconsiderationsfromtheecoaconsortium
AT reemyunis implementingsensorbaseddigitalhealthtechnologiesinclinicaltrialskeyconsiderationsfromtheecoaconsortium
AT julialakeland implementingsensorbaseddigitalhealthtechnologiesinclinicaltrialskeyconsiderationsfromtheecoaconsortium
AT kristensowalsky implementingsensorbaseddigitalhealthtechnologiesinclinicaltrialskeyconsiderationsfromtheecoaconsortium
AT juliakling implementingsensorbaseddigitalhealthtechnologiesinclinicaltrialskeyconsiderationsfromtheecoaconsortium
AT alisonritchie implementingsensorbaseddigitalhealthtechnologiesinclinicaltrialskeyconsiderationsfromtheecoaconsortium
AT christinecguo implementingsensorbaseddigitalhealthtechnologiesinclinicaltrialskeyconsiderationsfromtheecoaconsortium
AT billbyrom implementingsensorbaseddigitalhealthtechnologiesinclinicaltrialskeyconsiderationsfromtheecoaconsortium
AT scottiekern implementingsensorbaseddigitalhealthtechnologiesinclinicaltrialskeyconsiderationsfromtheecoaconsortium