Covid-19 started as a disaster for clinical research, halting or delaying 3 of every 4 trials worldwide. But in the months since, it has also become a showcase for decentralized research that uses telemedicine and mobile technologies to accelerate the pace of discovery — and potentially cut its costs.
Clinical investigators have been forced to modernize their approaches out of necessity, incorporating digital tools to help recruit participants, monitor them remotely, and analyze data using artificial intelligence.
Proponents of decentralized trials say the pandemic may serve as a crucial tipping point.
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